A SEX offender who sent indecent messages and videos to a 13-year-old schoolgirl began communicating with what he believed was another young girl while he was on police bail, a court was told.

But this time Nigel Lodge was inadvertently in contact with a woman posing as a 14-year-girl, who was working for a group trying to expose paedophiles grooming young children online.

Lodge, of Station Road, Darlington, was jailed for three years, ten months at Teesside Crown Court after he admitted charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, attempted grooming and incitement and sending a malicious communication.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said the 55-year-old began texting a 13-year-old girl at the beginning of 2016 using a social media app.

He said: “It is the Crown’s case that he was searching websites and apps for young children.”

Under the tag name ‘Sexy Man’, Lodge sent images of his private parts to the victim as well as a video showing him touching himself.

He called the teenager cute and sexy and suggested they meet up for sex. Lodge moved onto making voice calls via WhatsApp, telling the young girl he loved her and not to tell anyone at school.

Mr Hadfield said she felt uncomfortable and was disgusted by what she had seen. She also now found it harder to trust people.

Police questioned Lodge after a complaint was made and he denied being in contact with the victim, claiming someone had hacked his phone.

After being bailed while an investigation got underway, Lodge then began in September last year messaging the adult he believed was a child after introducing himself on another chat forum.

Lodge offered to teach the ‘girl’ about sex and said he would travel to meet her. The communications went on for three months and the defendant was eventually arrested on February 19 this year – five days after he had appeared at crown court and pleaded guilty to the first set of offences.

Lodge made no comment in police interviews and also refused investigators access to the pincode on two of his devices.

Angelise Hausted, mitigating, said: “He does clearly have sexual interest in young girls and he needs help.

“He lives a very solitary isolated life. He does not have a circle of friends and has no contact with his family.”

Lodge was made subject to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and will have to register his movements with police also indefinitely.

Judge Howard Crowson said Lodge’s behaviour had been persistent and the victim had been fortunate to escape his advances.

He said the further contact with what Lodge believed was a young girl was an aggravating factor.

He said: “You learnt nothing from the first set of offences and tried to succeed where you had previously failed.”