A dad has been jailed after admitting to seven child sex offences.

Gareth Holliday, of Devon Road in Blackburn, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, three counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming.

He was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Court on Monday.

The court heard that between August 16 2020 and August 21 2020, while in Blackburn, Holliday had intentionally arranged to meet a girl, aged 13, in order to have sex with her.

He also sent naked pictures to a girl under the age of 16 between August 2 2020 and August 21 2020, and attempted to make a child aged 13 look at images of himself engaging in a sexual activity.

Holliday, 36, was caught by paedophile hunters who had been posing as the teen, when he travelled to Rochdale from his home in Blackburn believing he was going to meet with the 13-year-old girl for sex.

He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and was told to sign the sex offenders register for life.