A MAN who fell for a police sting to catch adults trying to contact underage girls online found himself behind bars for four months as a result.

Wayne Chester, 43, responded to a friend request from a fictitious 14-year-old girl, ‘Phoebe Lees’, which was, in reality, a false profile set up by undercover police officers, as part of Operation Ascension, in early January.

Durham Crown Court heard he replied with a profile picture showing him to be a man of about 40.

Rupert Doswell, prosecuting, said in their initial exchanges ‘Phoebe’ made it clear she was only 14 and was soon to go back to school after the Christmas holiday.

Mr Doswell said the chats became increasingly sexual, and he sent her an intimate picture of himself with accompanying suggestive remarks, while there were further similar comments over the following days.

Police visited his home and recovered a mobile phone receipt in his name, while the phone, itself, was found in a pillow case.

Chester was arrested and claimed he knew nothing about the chats, while he said he had not owned a mobile for several months.

Asked about the phone in the pillow case, he claimed it belonged to a relative and he only used it for the alarm.

When the till receipt was produced, he accepted having bought the phone, but still denied taking part in chats or sending the picture.

Mr Doswell said it was only after a medical examination that he accepted the image sent was of his private parts.

Chester, of Cosgrove Avenue, Bishop Auckland, admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity through grooming.

Andrew Petterson, mitigating, said the defendant has nothing similar on his record but was aware he was facing a prison sentence, adding that he has been in custody since his arrest in January.

Imposing a 20-week prison sentence, Recorder Euan Duff told Chester, given time spent in custody, he may be released soon. Chester will also be subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must notify as a sex offender for seven years.