ONLINE campaigners set up a decoy profile of a young girl to try to trap internet paedophiles.

Daniel Ramsden initially thought he was corresponding with a 19-year-old after he joined a dating site.

But after their conversation moved to Facebook, he was told by the other person that she was just 14.

Neither was the truth – and the person he was messaging was a housewife working for Guardians of the North.

Ramsden, 24, had carried out a sex act and tried to persuade the "young girl" to do the same, a court heard.

He then said they could not meet, and could not have sex until she was 16, adding: "I hope you understand."

A psychiatric report said Ramsden does not have any paedophilic tendencies, and is not a danger to children.

Teesside Crown Court heard that he suffers from dyspraxia and has learning difficulties.

Ramsden, of Chestnut Grove, Roddymoor, near Crook, County Durham, was given a three-year community order by Judge Sean Morris.

He earlier admitted attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also pleaded guilty to sexual assault and exposure, which relate to an incident in March last year.

Mark Styles, mitigating, told the court: "He is sorry for what he did. He does apologise. He wanted to express that [to the author of a pre-sentence probation report] but he felt afraid and embarrassed, and didn't know what to do and panicked.

"He does have some understanding that what he has done was wrong, and he does have some empathy for his victim, and needs to get some help."

Ramsden will also be on the sex offenders' register for five years, and will undergo a treatment programme.

Judge Morris said: "The best way of ensuring that the public is safeguarded and he doesn't get into any trouble again is a very long community order."

Prosecutor Robin Patton told the court: "There would be more harm to the public if he was with other sex offenders who might exploit him."

The judge told Ramsden: "It is quite clear to me you are a young man with considerable difficulties, and your culpability in this is not as high as it would have been for other people.

"I am confident that the right choice here for the court is to help.

"There has been a very thorough assessment made of you by a forensic psychiatrist who is of the view you do not have any tendencies towards paedophilia, and you are not interested in having sex with young children."