A Formby man who had sex with a 15-year-old girl he met via Facebook was jailed for 32 months.

Scott Ball, who was ten years older than the girl, knew she was under-age and still at school. Despite her mother discovering his intentions after checking her daughter's Facebook account and warning him she would call the police, he went on to have sex with the girl.

His sordid crime came to light due to his job at Merseyrail, which required him to wear a body camera. During routine destruction of audio and visual recordings from the previous six months, he was heard discussing the incident with colleagues. Additionally, a graphic conversation with a former partner about the consequences of his actions with the girl was recorded, as she became so concerned.

Ball, now 27, of Langton Drive, denied two charges of sexual activity with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming. However, after the girl's evidence was played to the jury, he admitted the more serious charge of sexual activity, and the others were dropped.

Sentencing him to 32 months and ordering him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, Judge Norman Wright stated that at the time of the offense in February last year, Ball was 25 and the girl was 15.

The judge acknowledged that the sexual activity may have been initiated by the girl, who had become infatuated with Ball and overwhelmed by the attention he had been showing her. However, he emphasized that Ball was the adult and the girl was a child.

Ben Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the couple met via Facebook, and they both knew each other's ages. When they met, the girl was wearing her school uniform. Her mother discovered Facebook conversations in which Ball had been attempting to impress the girl with offers of meals at fancy restaurants, taking her to a log cabin, calling her "sexy," and claiming to love her.

There were also more disturbing messages about love, school uniform, and Ball looking at her pictures while pleasuring himself. The girl's mother banned her daughter from further contact with him and contacted Ball to warn him that she would call the police if he did not leave her daughter alone.

However, the girl contacted him using a friend's phone on February 3 last year, and they arranged to meet. Mr. Jones said: "She was taken to a relatively secluded area where he said he had bought a flat. They had sexual relations in a car park by those flats. When she came home, her mother realized what was going on and reported it to the police, leading to his arrest."

Ball denied any form of sexual contact. In a defense statement, he attempted to discredit the girl's character, describing her as infatuated with him and seeking to lead him on.

In a victim impact statement, the girl revealed how she had become infatuated with an older, handsome man. She now realizes that she had been taken in by him.

Shila Whitehead, defending Ball, who has no previous convictions, stated: "He is rather immature and that has affected his thinking skills. He lost his £28,000 a year job as a result of the offense and has been unemployed since but plans to be a self-employed painter and decorator having now completed a training course."

The judge imposed a five-year restraining order to keep Ball away from the girl.

DI Steve Christian said: "Ball is a sexual predator and this conviction shows that we will be pursuing those preying on the most vulnerable in our community. I hope that this sentence sends out a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated."

Anyone wishing to report an offense or has information can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.