AN ISLE of Wight paedophile caught sending explicit pictures to an undercover police officer he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been spared jail.

Stephen Maidment, of Beachfield Road, Sandown, appeared at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Tuesday, April 30.

At a previous hearing in March, the 39-year-old admitted four counts, including attempting to cause/incite a female child aged under 13 years to engage in sexual activity; making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child; attempting to cause a child aged under 13 years to watch/look at an image of sexual activity; and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The charges related to dates between November 4 and December 15, 2019.

Prosecutor, Tim Devlin, said on at least five occasions, Maidment sent explicit pictures of his genitals to a someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover police officer based in the West Midlands.

He said he struck up conversation through the Kik messenger platform, identifying himself as a 19-year-old from Torquay, and the conversation rapidly turned sexual.

Mr Devlin said police visited his home address and took a number of devices.

On an Apple iPhone, a total of 12 Category C indecent images were found, as well as 393 indicative images of girls which were borderline sexual.

Mr Devlin said Maidment displayed an interest in underage girls and his intention was to groom a 12-year-old.

The court heard in police interview, Maidment said he did it to “various people”.

Jim Osborne, defending, said Maidment was deeply remorseful.

He said he empathised with the children and was deeply saddened, ashamed and disgusted by what he did.  

Mr Osborne said no sexual activity took place and the child was fictional.

He said Maidment lost all his friends, his job, and was suffering from social isolation.

Maidment, who was in tears in the dock, was described by recorder Elisabeth Bussey-Jones as a “broken man” who was clearly sickened by his own actions.

He was handed a 15-month prison term, suspended for 20 months, to include 60 rehabilitation days, a 30-day offending behaviour programme, and 100 hours of unpaid work.