Martin Edward Manns sent naked photos of himself to a girl while she was on her school break.

Martin Edward Manns, a 59-year-old from Twyford Road, Eastleigh, has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to communicate with a child under the age of 16 for sexual gratification and attempting to meet a girl under 16 with the intention of sexual activity.

Manns, who had been under investigation for another child sex offence, created an online profile named "Up for it" and contacted a decoy profile pretending to be a 13-year-old girl called Mabel H on the website Chatiw. He had also arranged to meet the fictional teenager at a local Lidl store.

Police officers, who were controlling the decoy profile, monitored his interactions and followed him back to his house after he was seen using his phone in the car park.

Manns pleaded guilty to the offences which occurred between September 2022 and June 2023. His defense attorney, Gaylene Coles, stated that Manns was "extremely remorseful and ashamed" for his actions and attributed his behavior to the loss of his mother and mother-in-law, as well as his daughter's difficult childbirth experience.

Judge Christopher Parker QC determined that Manns posed a significant risk to young girls and the public. He imposed a five-year prison sentence with a two-year licence upon release. Manns will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.