A PERVERTED fantasist from Fulwood who sexually abused schoolgirls by pretending to be a model agency boss is behind bars for three years and four months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how the former businessman Charles Monaghan preyed on his five victims aged between 13 and 15 years on internet chatrooms. He enticing them to hotels or to his home where he molested them, but he managed to convince their mothers he was genuine.

The defendant, a 38-year-old father of two, involved one 15-year-old in a naked threesome and licked chocolate sauce off her and her friend, had sex with one victim and gave the girls cash for sexual favours.

He was arrested in January when her worried mother alerted police.

Sentencing Monaghan, whose wife is said to be standing by him, Judge Raymond Bennett said: "I hope it will be a warning to young girls who are gullible, are prepared to go into chatrooms on the internet and agree to meet up with persons they do not know."

Monaghan of Kings Drive, Fulwood, Preston, admitted indecent assault and three charges of possessing indecent photos of a child. He had also been committed for sentence by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to four counts of gross indecency with a child, four charges of indecent assault and two allegations of unlawful sexual intercourse between about November 2003 and January 2004. He had no previous convictions.

The defendant was also given an extended licence period of three years eight months, ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life, was banned from working with children and made subject to a sex offences prevention order for 10 years and prohibited from visiting internet chatroom sites.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, told the court the defendant met a 15-year-old and her friend, gave her a modelling contract and took the pair to a room at the Preston Marriott Hotel. Monaghan asked her to measure her breasts with a tape measure and gave her £20. A few weeks later he took her to another hotel, did it again and gave her £15.

Last November Monaghan arranged to meet a Blackburn victim at her home and reassured her mother he was running a genuine model agency. Monaghan took her to the Swallow Hotel in Samlesbury, got her to perform a sex act on him, gave her money and drove her home.

The prosecutor said when the defendant was arrested he told police he had previously earned £50,000 a year but entered his fantasy world after his business got into difficulties.

Peter Turner, defending, said in the six months Monaghan had been in custody he had felt ashamed and extremely sorry and had faced up to the fact his actions had been acutely wicked.

The solicitor continued: "The present defendant is entirely different to the defendant who was arrested in January. He is determined never again to get himself involved in chatrooms."