AN ISLE of Wight paedophile caught chatting and sending explicit images over Snapchat to someone he thought was a 12-year-old schoolgirl has been spared jail.

David Dean, of Hungerberry Close, Shanklin, appeared before a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Friday, August 30.

At a previous hearing in July, the 53-year-old admitted attempting to cause or incite a female child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, between April 25 and June 9, 2023.

Prosecutor, Tim Devlin, said Dean engaged in conversation with a person he believed to be 12-year-old schoolchild, but who was in fact an undercover police officer.

He sent her explicit images of himself over Snapchat and gave her ‘advice’ on various matters concerning sexual activity.

Some of the content he sent to the girl, Dean described as ‘extra naughty clips’, and Mr Devlin said the activity was clearly intentional.

He said Dean believed the person he was talking to was a 12-year-old girl, and while the offence did not involve an actual child, he exhibited grooming behaviour.

Anna Leathem, defending, conceded there was evidence of grooming but said not many images were solicited.

She said Dean was seeking affirmation at a time of deep isolation and never asked the girl for sexual images.

Feeling ashamed of himself is an understatement, said Ms Leathem, who revealed Dean was full of guilt, regret and despair.

She said he had a strong support network, and his partner stood by him; a woman he described as his ‘absolute rock’.

Ms Leathem said his behaviour at the time of the offences was incredibly out of character and the events in the last year were a huge wake-up call for him.

Dean was handed a 20-month jail term, suspended for two years, to include 40 rehabilitation days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and made subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.