William Dobson, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, was luckily not speaking to 14-year-old Nelly May but in fact, a decoy called Donna Hurst from Confronted and Caught.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court said that Dobson started talking to a profile called ‘NellyUK’ on RandoChat, a platform on which users are supposed to be 18 years old.

‘Nelly’ quickly told Dobson she was 14 and despite this, he continued to speak to her, asking if she owns a thong, what she was wearing and whether she could send pictures.

Mr Parker said: “He asked her if she ever played with herself, he asked if she had humped a pillow.

“She said she had not but her dog did it.

“He asked if she ever wakes up horny and that he thought she would at 14.”

Dobson went on to ask ‘Nelly’ more questions such as ‘have you heard her mother have sex’, ‘has your boyfriend ever shagged you’ and ‘has your boyfriend ever grabbed your arse’.

The conversation continued to worsen with Dobson asking ‘Nelly’ where she was from before saying he was ‘near her’ and could pick her up.

Dobson asked what she knew about sex and she replied ‘only what she had learnt in sex education class which was mostly contraception’ with Dobson replying ‘I would show you everything’.

He asked if she could feel ‘tingling’ when she thought about him touching her before telling her to go on PornHub so she could learn more.

Dobson told ‘Nelly’ that she had a ‘choice’, either he would rape her or someone else would before saying she could tap him three times on the head to get him to stop.

‘Nelly’ went on to mention that she was going to be babysitting a six-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl and Dobson went on to ask whether she would be ‘teaching the girl’ and ‘whether she would be in bed with her’.

More communication continued with Dobson encouraging Nelly to engage in sexual activity with the young girl, with ‘Nelly’ saying she was uncomfortable speaking like that.

The conversation then ended between them have gone on for about 48 hours.

Dobson was arrested about two months later when Donna and others from the group Confronted and Caught went to his house and called the police.

Mitigating, Holly Nelson said Dobson, 32, had not made attempts for a meeting.

She added that at the time, personal circumstances meant Dobson had started abusing alcohol and cocaine, however, he is now abstinent.

Ms Nelson said: “He is rightly ashamed of his actions.

“He can’t believe he has put himself in this position and more importantly put his family in this position.

“He knows the impact of this type of conviction on his family.”

Ms Nelson went on to say Dobson has an 11-year-old daughter who he ‘thinks the world of’.

Following the offending, he no longer sees her face to face and knows when he does again, it will have to be supervised.

Judge Sara Dodd said Dobson was ‘depraved’ and had ‘sordid sexual fantasies’.

Judge Dodd said: “You made contact with a girl called Nelly May. Nelly was in fact an adult, a decoy.

“You believed her to be a 14-year-old girl. You were told her age but you were not deterred by this.

“The conversation was turned by you to a sexual nature. You made reference to wanting to rape her.

“You encouraged her to engage in sexual activity with a nine-year-old girl.

“There were offers to pick her up and buy her a gift of a thong.”

Dobson, who previously pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, was jailed for 14 months and made subject to a 10-year sexual harm order and 10-year sexual notification requirement.

Judge Dodd added: “Those who speak to a child they believe to be 14 in the way that you have should expect nothing other than immediate custody.”