A 37-YEAR-OLD man lured Blackburn schoolgirls into sex at a Ribble Valley hotel after meeting them through internet chat rooms.

A court heard that Charles Trevor Monaghan's victims were only 14 and 15 years old when they fell for his claim to be from a modelling agency that was testing beauty products. He took four girls to his home in Preston where he committed acts of gross indecency with two of them and indecently assaulted them.

Two other 14-year-old girls were collected from school and taken to a to Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn, where Monaghan had protected and unprotected sex with one of them. He also committed acts of gross indecency with the girls and indecently assaulted them.

Monaghan, of Kings Drive, Preston, pleaded guilty at Blackburn magistrates on January 30 to two charges of unlawful sex with girls under the age of 16, four charges of gross indecency and four of indecent assault. He was committed in custody to Preston Crown Court for sentence. He pleaded not guilty to two further charges of unlawful sexual intercourse which were discharged by District Judge Paul Firth after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Joanne Close, prosecuting, said Monaghan had made contact with the girls through internet chat rooms, initially identifying himself as a female called Michelle who represented a firm called T and N Models. He said the company was a market research company that tested beauty products.

"Having groomed the girls in this way he then carried out various acts which represent a gross breach of trust," said Miss Close.

She said the charges relating to incidents at his home went back to November 18 and involved girls he had first met in October. They had got to know him before he picked four of them up in his car and took them to his home address.

"He took them to his daughter's bedroom where they were asked to strip naked," said Miss Close. "Two of the girls refused and the other two were told to lie on the floor while he tried the products on them." She told how Monaghan produced a jar of chocolate sauce and smeared it on the girls before licking it off.

The second two girls, both aged 14, were also contacted through the internet. For their first meeting with Monaghan one of them was accompanied by her mother.

"She was so taken in by Monaghan she allowed her daughter to go with him on another occasion," said Miss Close.

On January 21 Monaghan collected the two girls from school and took them to the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn.

"He produced fruit and cream which he smeared on them. He then had protected and unprotected sex with one of the girls."

She said that as they left the hotel a member of staff became suspicious and contacted police.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character and it was important to stress there was no suggestion that he had used any force on the girls.

He said Monaghan was married with two children and until recently had been involved in financial services and set up his own company called Mortgage Masters in 1998.

"Initially that company was very successful and my client was earning between £40,000 and £60,000 a year," said Mr Ditta.

He said at the beginning of 2000 the company began to struggle and Monaghan eventually fell into debt.