A MAN who sent indecent images of himself to an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl has been sent to prison for 10 months.

Alistair Jones from Mold thought he was befriending a 13-year-old on a teen chat site and carried on his contact with her onto the Snapchat social media site.

He sent her a photo of his erect penis and one of him masturbating over a live web, but unknown to him he was communicating with a police officer and was arrested.

Prosecutor Karl Scholz told Mold Crown Court: “He asked 'her' to send him pictures and referred to her as 'sexy' but at all times the person he was communicating with was a police officer.”

When the undercover officer sent Jones a picture of a young schoolgirl in uniform, he demanded more sexual content.

After he sent the indecent images of himself police went to his home and seized his phone and laptop.

When it was pointed out to him that the 'girl' had given her age as 13, he claimed he must have been drinking.

Police found Jones had been accessing teenage chat sites and found160 images on his laptop that were indicative of his interest in children, although they were not sexual. There were also searches for terms such as “pre-teen”.

Jones, 47, of St David’s House, High Street, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to incite a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity by sending an indecent image of himself to her on February 13 and February 27.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child by sending messages of a sexual nature via between February 6 and 28.

And he admitted two counts of attempting to cause a 13-year-old girl to look at indecent images of him engaging in sexual activity on February 9 and February 27.

Barrister James Coutts, for Jones, said: "He lives a solitary existence.

"Eight years ago he was in employment, but a series of motorbike accidents has meant he hasn’t worked since and he has turned to drink and lives a very isolated life."

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Jones: “It was quite disgusting and worrying behaviour. You were seeking to take advantage of a 13-year-old girl, but you were communicating with a police officer.”

The judge made a sexual harm prevention order on Jones for seven years and told him to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.