Would-be groomer avoids jail term

A judge heard that officers caught Michael Walsh in a sting by getting him to send sexual messages to a fake social media account believing a 13-year-old schoolgirl was on the other end.

The hearing was told the 28-year-old sent pornographic images and a video of himself performing a lewd act to the account in October last year, despite police making it clear about the young age of the supposed recipient.

The messages were exchanged through the Kik messaging app, a free service which allows people to directly message each other.

The 28-year-old from Crawford Avenue, Tyldesley stated in a message that the girl should not show anyone the chat history, before continuing in his pursuit by sending numerous messages to the account asking for naked pictures, to which police replied stating that it wasn’t possible because “they were in school”.

Walsh, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, as well as inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Appearing in the dock at Bolton Crown Court, he was given a three-year community order with requirements that he complete 100 hours of unpaid work and participates in a sex offenders work programme, and a rehabilitation activity requirement of 25 days.

He was also hit with a five-year sexual harm prevention order and put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years also.