Leeds pervert claimed he was an investigative journalist after he was arrested for sending explicit images of himself to 13-year-old 'girl'

John Hargreaves sent explicit sexual images of himself to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl after logging on to a website for teenagers.

Leeds Crown Court heard Hargreaves had actually made contact with a decoy profile set up by a West Yorkshire Police officer.

Jeremy Hill-Baker, prosecuting, said Hargreaves sent a message to the profile of the 'girl' in February 2018 saying: "Nice photo."

The prosecutor said it would have been clear to 37-year-old Hargreaves that he would have been sending messages to a child.

Messages became more sexual and he sent explicit pictures of himself.

He also discussed meeting up with the youngster and booking a hotel room.

Police officers arrested Hargreaves around three weeks after he first made contact.

A mobile phone and tablet device were seized from his home and found to contain 10 indecent child images.

Hargreaves denied any offending.

He claimed during a trial that he had been carrying out investigative journalism and had acted out of curiosity.

The jury rejected his account and found him guilty of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 16, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and two counts of making indecent photographs of children.

Phillip Mahoney, mitigating, said Hargreaves continues to deny the offences.

Mr Mahoney said Hargreaves has no previous convictions and had not been in trouble in almost four years since he was arrested.

The court heard Hargreaves, of Holtdale Way, Adel,Leeds, is unsuitable for a sex offender treatment programme as he still does not accept the guilty verdicts.

The probation service assessed the defendant as posing a medium risk of reoffending.

Mr Recorder Wheeler said: "The pre-sentence report indicates that you are still in denial and do not accept the jury's verdict and continue to protest your innocence.

"That gives me difficulties. It is an intensive programme and requires intensive work with the probation service.

"It is not a course where an offender can simply sit at the back and claim a tick for turning up.

"It is an intensive and onerous programme where an offender would have to acknowledge his guilt at an early stage before the probation service can do meaningful work with you."

Hargreaves was instead given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 55 rehabilitation activity requirement days plus 180 hours of unpaid work.

Hargreaves was also told he must go on the sex offender register for ten years.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, to monitor his use of the internet.