A SEX offender breached the terms of his notification requirements by secretly accessing internet chat sites and contacting an underage girl.

Matthew Joseph Keogan was subject to restrictions under the terms of his registration as a sex offender, following a conviction for possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography, in October 2013.

Durham Crown Court heard he was subject to home visits by a supervising police officer and a probation officer.

Sarah Mallett, prosecuting, said, amid growing concern about his, “evasive behaviour”, and apparent, “sexual interest”, he was warned not to use alias names to access the internet.

Miss Mallett said it subsequently emerged that Keogan met a woman through an internet dating site, accessed using a name he had not previously declared to police.

An unannounced visit was made to Keogan’s home in February when a card was noticed on the floor with a further internet user name of which police were unaware.

Keogan was arrested and his computer was seized for examination.

When he was initially interviewed he confirmed failing to disclose two internet user names, but said police would find no indecent images of children.

He later changed his story and said one image may have been accessed, but claimed it did not feature sexual activity.

Keogan also said he had looked at 15 videos on his phone, but deleted them, and admitted having a social media account.

It was found he had saved a 13-minute video featuring a man performing a sexual act with a girl aged nine to 11.

Miss Mallett said further examination of his phone revealed he had engaged in sexual conversation with a 15-year-old girl, who could not be traced.

Keogan admitted being sexually attracted to the girl, but claimed it was because of the way she looked rather than due to her age.

Keogan, 32, of Tan Hills, Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street, admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing an indecent image of a child, and two counts of failing to comply with conditions of the Sex Offenders' Register.

Judge Christopher Prince indicated he was considering imposing a 27-month prison sentence.

Stuart Graham, for Keogan, said he could not disagree with such a sentence, in the circumstances, given the "aggravating feature" of the breaches of the registration notification requirements.

He said the defendant was “very remorseful” and realises where he has “gone wrong” in the past, which he hopes to now address.

Imposing the 27-month sentence, Judge Prince also made Keogan subject to registration as a sex offender for life, as well as restrictions over future internet use and contact with underage girls, under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.