A DANGEROUS sex offender who tried to get a ‘father’ to rape his own 11-year-old ‘daughter’ has been given an eight-and-a-half year sentence.

Burnley Crown Court heard 36-year-old Graham Marshall also arranged to travel from his home in Burnley to Norfolk to meet the man – as long as he could find someone to look after his dog – so he could go and abuse the ‘girl’ himself.

Unbeknown to Marshall he was not speaking to a like-minded sex offender but an undercover police officer, who pretended to have a daughter named Jess.

Prosecuting, Paul Dockery said Marshall had struck up a conversation with the officer using the instant messaging service Kik on June 24, last year.

Having initially discussed his sexual interest in Jess, Marshall then sent him a photograph of a naked girl who he estimated was about 10-years-old.

He then repeated his desire to have a sex with Jess.

He then asked the officer if he had ever had sex with his daughter, before instructing him to rape her.

Mr Dockery said that the following day Marshall demanded more detail about what the officer had done with his daughter, before informing him what sex acts he would like him to perform on the girl.

Marshall then asked for a photograph of Jess and the officer sent him a picture of a girl in a school dress.

Mr Dockery said: “The defendant said he wanted her. He said he needed to work out how to get to him.”

There was then a discussion about logistics and Marshall said he would aim to get down to Norfolk by the end of the month. He then revealed he lives in Burnley and the two men discussed the cost of travel.

Marshall then asked the officer if he could do him a favour and sexually assault Jess for him.

On July 2 Marshall said he was drooling just thinking about what he was going to do to Jess.

On July 7 Marshall spoke further about raping Jess.

Three days later he asked the officer for another picture of his daughter and said he couldn’t wait to meet her.

On July 12 when the officer told him he was going to pick his daughter up from school, Marshall issued detailed instructions on how he wanted him to sexually assault and rape Jess.

On July 15 Marshall said he was going to try and come down to Norfolk by the middle of August but it depended on whether he could get his brother to look after his dog.

Marshall then again suggested that the officer should rape his daughter.

The following day Marshall talked about a five-year-old girl, before again giving him detailed instruction about exactly how he wanted the officer to rape his daughter.

On July 22 Marshall asked the officer – who said he had joint custody of Jess – if he could have his daughter on August 7 because he had a dog sitter for that day.

When the officer said that Jess would be in the car when he came to pick Marshall up at the station, there was then a conversation about what the defendant would like her to wear.

Marshall was eventually arrested at his home in Leyland Road, Burnley, on August 14 and answered no comment to questions put to him in police interview.

Throughout the course of the exchanges with the officer Marshall used a series of screen names, including Lewisham35, Love Life and Bodycount, which he was banned from doing by a sexual offences prevention order issued in the past.

Marshall pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting in the commission of a sexual offence believing it would be committed, distributing indecent images of children, breaching a sexual offences prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Defending, Philip Holden said his client had been taking anti-libido medication since his release from prison for a previous sexual offence, as well as anti-depressants.

He said: “It is a very worrying pre-sentence report. There is no doubt about that. But one can say he has been refreshingly frank within it in a way which many in his position are not. He has some insight into his problems. Although he has some alarming thought processes and opinions.”

Judge Richard Gioserano deemed Marshall, who believes the age of consent should be lowered to 14, to be a dangerous paedophile because of his distorted and deep-seated sexual interest in children. The court heard how Marshall was concerned about being out alone because he felt he would abuse a child he saw out in the street and took a book or newspaper out with him as a distraction.

Sentencing Marshall to four and a half years custody, with an extended licence period of four years, Judge Gioserano said: “You encouraged what you believed to be a father to rape his own 11-year-old daughter.

“You encouraged someone to commit the most serious forms of sexual abuse. All of it would have resulted in the most serious breach of trust, enabling serious emotional and psychological damage. You persisted in your encouragement over the course of three weeks for your own sexual gratification.”

Marshall was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offender’s register for life.