Sent sexually explicit messages to three accounts he thought belonged to children has been spared jail.

A 49-year-old man, Vijay Barretto, was caught by paedophile hunters after attempting to meet with an adult account holder he believed to be a child.

Basingstoke Magistrates' Court heard that Barretto had messaged three accounts he believed belonged to 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old, sending messages such as "I want to be naked with you?" and "Will you have my children?".

Barretto, who resided in Elizabeth Road, Basingstoke, during the time of the offences, has since moved. He provided the court with his current address as Queensbury Road, but did not specify the town.

According to the prosecution, Barretto had sent messages between November 30 and December 26, 2017, using "the type of language the Crown says is wholly inappropriate".

"All three profiles made clear very early on that they were a child," prosecutor David Fossler stated. Barretto appeared in court on Monday.

In his defense, Ms Bonavia argued that there were no previous or subsequent indications of any offences, and no evidence suggested Barretto intended to meet with children or decoys, characterizing the incident as a "sexual fantasy".

She continued, "He appears to have become very isolated and was turning to gambling and using alcohol - he was in a bad place." Barretto had been employed and sending money back to his family in India, with Ms Bonavia stating that losing his job would "destroy his whole purpose."

"He is doing the very best he can to recover the situation, certainly I do not think he has any inclination that he would be damaging people. He has demonstrated to the court that he is not someone who is an ongoing danger," she added.

Barretto was spared jail and received an 18-month community order, encompassing 35 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Mrs Ashton, Chair of Magistrates, stated: "We make the order because we believe the cases are so serious." In addition to the community order, Barretto was ordered to pay £85 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge.