A married vicar has admitted sending sexually explicit photographs of himself to an undercover police officer he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

The Rev Ben Lovell, 44, of St Mary’s Hampton in south-west London, engaged in sexual conversations with the decoy over Snapchat before sending indecent images of himself.

The account, using the name “Isla”, was operated by an undercover investigator. No real child was behind the profile.

Lovell pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court to sending indecent images of himself to a person under 16 and causing a child under 16 to look at a photograph of sexual activity.

Magistrates ruled the offences were too serious for them to sentence and committed the case to Kingston Crown Court.

The court heard that Lovell, formerly of Hampton is currently out of work and living apart from his family. The court was told contact with his children is supervised and approved by social services.

The Diocese of London said he was suspended from ministry as soon as it became aware of his arrest. A spokesman said the offences did not relate to his role at St Mary’s or to his family.

Lovell previously served as a director of the independent Hampton School and sat on the board of the Instanter Learning Trust.

He was granted conditional bail and will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on a date yet to be confirmed.