A paedophile who thought he was talking to a 12-year-old girl sent her explicit videos of himself masturbating and asked her to "play with him" in a hotel room.

Predatory Harold Blackburn, 63, was in fact speaking to an undercover police officer when he sent graphic images and sexually explicit messages to the ‘girl’ in behaviour Judge Graham Knowles described as “manipulative and motivated by a deviant sexual interest in children”.

Preston Crown Court was told how Blackburn, of Lawrence Street, Blackburn, had added the decoy, called 'Gemma', as a friend on Snapchat, with her user profile stating, “I’m 12, female, UK.”

‘Gemma’ asked Blackburn how he had found her, and he told her his 16-year-old son had been in a teenage chat room, and that he was 55.  

Judge Knowles said: “The lies that you had a son of 16 and that you were 55 were carefully calibrated - this was to appeal to a 12-year-old girl and keep her interested.

“The age of 55 was the age you realistically thought you could pass yourself off as when you sent images to her of your face.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Harold BlackburnHarold Blackburn (Image: Lancs Police)

The conversation between Blackburn and ‘Gemma’ soon became sexual with the 63-year-old requesting the ‘schoolgirl’ send him nude images, while asking her to masturbate before sending her a video of himself committing the sex act, as well as a picture of his penis.

Judge Knowles went on: “You asked for pictures of her breasts and said you would buy her a heart necklace and suggested going to a hotel room to ‘play with each other’.

“Your contact with her happened on at least 20 days over a few months. You told her you looked after footballers, flattered her, and encouraged her to act grown up, asked her to keep the conversations secret and used emotive language as a means of further manipulation.

“The cold light of day occurred when police turned up at your door and found an indecent image of a child in your possession and relevant search history on your devices.

“There was also a police document which contained a comprehensive list of websites where child sexual exploitation might be found.

“Where you got that from and on what terms you would not say when police questioned you in your interview, but you did make admissions, although they weren’t as comprehensive as your counsel has committed in court.

 “You were predatory and manipulative, motivated by a deviant sexual interest in children.”

Officers arrested Blackburn on September 7, 2020, but he was bailed and released under investigation.

During a probationary visit to his home, toys were found in the living room, and it transpired that young children had been staying there.

Blackburn told probation that the person he was living with, the parents of the children and social services knew about his arrest, and the probation officers left and allowed the situation to continue, not realising he had told a pack of lies.

Judge Knowles went on: “What you had actually said was ‘yes, I have been arrested but it is all been dropped’.

“When the woman you were living with found out the truth, she turfed you out and cut off the relationship.

“You came late to court for your sentence in June and as a result I put it off, for six days, but you were taken to hospital and now it’s been six months since that hearing.”

Blackburn pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, making an indecent photograph of a child, and failing to surrender to bail.

Judge Knowles jailed him for four years and made him subject to an extensive sexual harm prevention order until further order.

Blackburn will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life.