A Colchester man, who was arrested after a vigilante paedophile hunter group handed police a folder containing details of chats about sex he had with a member of the group posing as a 13-year-old girl, has been given a suspended prison sentence 

During the conversations, which took place over several weeks, 35-year-old Kirk Matthews asked for a picture of her wearing a short skirt without any underwear and he had sent naked pictures of himself, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Callum Munday, prosecuting, said that police received a telephone call from the vigilante group in January saying they had detained Matthews as result of evidence they had collected.

The information included chats between Matthews and a vigilante group member posing as a schoolgirl asking for pictures of her chest, pictures of her wearing a short skirt without underwear and talking about having sex with her.

Matthews, of Salary Close, Colchester, admitted attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

In addition to being given a 20 month prison sentence suspended for two years he was given a 100 day alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement,  a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to attend 40 sessions of a sex offenders' programme.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Adam Budworth, for Matthews, said his client was ashamed and felt sick about what he’d done.

He said Matthews had reached rock bottom and had committed the offences to escape the realities of his life.

He said Matthews was living with his mother and had received threats following publicity the case had received.

Mr Budworth said his client hadn’t consumed alcohol since January and a prison sentence would be extremely detrimental to him.