A TEENAGER who was on an apprenticeship as a teaching assistant sent a photograph of his manhood to a girl aged 14.

Ryan Davies had lost his career and was now a student mechanic and working in a chip shop, a court was told.

Davies, 19, of Borras Road in Wrexham, was at the time of the offence an apprentice teaching assistant at a primary school in the Wrexham area.

But the girl revealed to a family member that during a social network conversation it had become sexualised and he had sent her a photograph of his erect penis.

He admitted that in November of last year, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, he intentionally caused a child to look at an image of himself engaging in a sexual activity.

Davies was placed on a two year community order with 60 days rehabilitation.

He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for five years.

But North East Wales magistrates agreed with defence solicitor Andy Holliday that a sexual harm prevention order was not necessary.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the Mold court Davies at the time was an apprentice teaching assistant.

He had seen the girl and later sent her a Facebook friend request.

She ignored it initially, knowing Davies had a girlfriend.

He then sent her a message and during an online conversation she asked if he was a teacher and he said he was.

They moved to Snapchat and the girl said she thought he was just being nice.

But during a conversation on one day he introduced sexual matters, said he was no longer with his girlfriend, asked if she had “ever done things with lads” and sent her a photograph of his erect penis.

He also asked her if she thought it was big?

She had not encouraged him in any way and deleted him as a friend.

Davies blocked her but not before telling her not to say what he had done or he would lose his job.

Police were told after the girl told a family member what had happened and the picture, which had been deleted, was retrieved by officers together with the chat log.

Mr Espie suggested it was the deliberate targeting of someone he knew was a child for his own sexual gratification.

Mr Holliday said his client was a young man with no previous convictions who had made a big mistake which would affect the rest of his life potentially.

The sexualised conversation took place a year ago, it was a one-off over a 24 hour period, and nothing had happened since.

Mr Holliday said Davies was now studying car mechanics and was working part-time in a chip shop at a minimum wage.

His client was only 18 at the time, was immature and she was 14.

He was a young man who had obviously done something very wrong and it was quite clear he would not be able to work with children again.

He said the complainant herself had stressed it happened during one conversation on one day only.

In a victim impact statement the girl said she felt scared and feared she would get into trouble.