A PERVERT who was caught by online paedophile hunters has avoided prison after breaching a court order to manage his offending.

Michael Hudson was given a suspended sentence last September after having sexualised conversations with, who he thought was, a teenage girl and was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Teesside Crown Court had heard how the 50-year-old tried to meet up with the teenager for sex not knowing he actually 'talking' to an adult woman.

He admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

And within months he was in breach of the order for failing to register an internet enabled device with the authorities.

Hudson, of Leybourne Terrace, Stockton, pleaded guilty to breaching both his suspended sentence and his SHPO.

The defendant was back before the Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Paul Watson QC, who deferred sentence on Hudson's breach in December.

He said: "I gave you a chance and you took it with both hands – good for you.

"I'm prepared to keep my side of the bargain and impose a community order for 12 months for the breach of the SHPO and that will include 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days (RAR).

"You were in breach of a suspended sentence and that will be dealt with by way of five further five RAR days making it a total of 20 days.

"It's up to you now and you have this community order for 12 months; if you breach it somebody else may not be as charitable next time."