AN Okehampton teenager has been sent on a sex offenders’ course after he persuaded a 13-year-old Facebook friend to send pictures of her naked breasts to his phone.

George Dean, aged 19, was caught after the girl’s mother became alarmed about her use of social media and checked her Facebook account and smartphone, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Dean, of Leaholes Avenue, Okehampton, admitted two offences of possessing indecent images of a child and one of inciting a child to sexual activity.

He was jailed for four months, suspended for two years, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid community work and to attend the Facing Forward programme.

He was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten years by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC.

He told him: ‘You made it clear why you wished her to send you photographs and that must have been quite distressing for her. What would really have worried her, if she had thought about it, was the danger that you might put these images on the internet and they would go viral.

‘That is what can cause very, very serious distress to young women and it is not unknown for them to harm themselves or worse.

‘You befriended this girl through social media and your messages started as innocuous but as time passed they became increasingly sexual with requests for images. You also sent images in return.

‘You were aware of her age but you sought further sexual contact.’

Mr Adrian Chaplin, prosecuting, said the offences came to light after the girl’s mother called the police, who found the images on Dean’s phone.

He said: ‘There had been a Facebook exchange when he was 18 and she was 13. He encouraged her to send him photographs of her exposed breasts.

‘He now accepts he was aware of her actual age because he had bumped into her when she was dressed for school.’

Mr Nick Bradley, defending, said Dean had admitted the offence straight away. He asked the judge to take account of a probation pre sentence report which explained the background of the offending and recommended he receive supervision.