Man jailed after grooming teenager online

Michael Wood, 34, travelled from his home in St Helens to the victim’s home in Darwen where he had sex with her.

He initially made contact with the 15-year-old girl on Twitter in December 2015.

Wood, of Cavan Drive, St Helens, admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child when he appeared at Preston Crown Court on Thursday and was jailed for three years.

Wood, who is understood to be a former Wigan school pupil, was also given a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was put on the sex offenders register.

Det Con Sal Yusaf, from Lancashire Constabulary, said: “We welcome the sentence. Wood targeted a vulnerable teenage girl and groomed her for the purposes of meeting her and having sex with her.

"He clearly knew she was underage when he contacted her and when the sexual activity started but that didn’t stop him. He was aware that the victim was infatuated with him and he used her to satisfy his perverted sexual desires.”