Car salesman who tried to have sex chat with schoolboy was caught in a police sting

Karl Clennell was told he was speaking to a 14-year-old over the social media site but an undercover operative was behind the decoy profile.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Clennell exchanged pictures, had graphic conversation and there were discussions about meeting, although no proper arrangement was made.

After Clennell ended the conversation police seized his phone they found vile chats on the Telegram and Kik apps, where he had been involved in "utterly abhorrent" discussions about toddler rape and child abuse, which he said were fantasy.

The phone also contained a total of 25 child abuse images and one prohibited image.

Clennell, 37, of Winslow Court, North Shields, North Tyneside, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, three charges of making indecent images of children, across the three categories of seriousness, and possessing one prohibited image.

The court heard Clennell lost his job in car sales and has since found new work, self-referred to therapy and counselling and is remorseful.

Recorder Andrew Walker sentenced him to 17 months, suspended for 21 months, with rehabilitation requirements, 150 hours unpaid work, £150 costs and 150 hours unpaid work.

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Clennell has to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.

Recorder Walker said: "I accept there was no child in the communications offence, you were communicating with an undercover officer. The children in the images on your phone were real."