Pervert sent sexually explicit videos to an undercover detective posing as a teenager

A pervert who sent sexually explicit videos to a teenage girl was arrested after his intended victim turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Michael Bagnall sent videos of himself performing a sex act, recorded in the bedroom of his home.

The 36-year-old was arrested when police traced his online activity to his County Durham address, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Jessica Butterell, prosecuting, said the defendant used a false name on Snapchat before befriending the police decoy, who posed as a 13-year-old girl from London.

“The defendant told ‘Chloe’ that he was 14 years old and from Newcastle,” she said. “The conversation became sexually explicit when the defendant sent seven videos of him performing a sex act and asked her to comment.”

Miss Butterell said the decoy told him she was 13 but he responded with sexually explicit messages and tried to call her to get her to watch.

Bagnall, of Oswick Place, Newton Aycliffe, pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate sexually with a child and causing a child to observe sexual activity between September 12 and October 23 last year.

Michele Turner, mitigating, stated that her client was drunk at the time of the crime and had lost access to his own child as a result of his conviction.

She added: “It is correct to say that the defendant has already been punished by his personal circumstances.

“He no longer has any contact with his child.”

Judge Chris Smith sentenced Bagnall to 19 months in prison, an 18-month suspended sentence with 30 rehabilitation activity days and a requirement to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

“During ongoing conversations in which you encouraged her to engage in sexual activity, told her that you had engaged in sexual activity and sent her multiple videos, you committed these two offenses,” he said.

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“There wasn’t a 13-year-old girl, it was actually a police officer doing his best to hunt down pedophiles like you who are abusing the internet and trying to exploit vulnerable young girls.”

Bagnall was also given an electronic curfew from 7pm to 7am for four months, must sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was given a sexual violence prevention order for the same period.

The judge added: “You say you were very drunk and had no idea what was going on. I can’t believe this because it took a month.

“So any claim that you were drunk every time you used Snapchat is just nonsense.”