A dad-of-three sexually pursued a "13-year-old girl" despite knowing he could "lose everything".
David Cooper chatted with 13-year-old 'Grace' via Kik Messenger, and tried to incite the teenager to have sex with him. But unknown to Cooper, 'Grace,' was actually an undercover police officer whose role was to find paedophiles online.
Cooper agreed with the girl in a series of online messages that her mum would kill her if she knew about their chats. The defendant added: "She won't know but I could go to prison and lose everything."
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Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday, September 1 that Cooper, 35, of Nicholas Road, Widnes, was a diagnostic technician at a car manufacturer on the brink of promotion. But the family man's career was now in ruins after he was jailed for 27 months.
Judge Anil Murray told Cooper: “You say you are not attracted to children. It is not possible for me to accept that and you now seem to accept that situation.”
Although Cooper - described as a "loving and dedicated father" - stopped contacting the fake child three months before police knocked at his door, the judge said the only appropriate punishment was an immediate jail term.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, told the court Cooper had told the girl he was 30 and lived in Warrington. He said the defendant pursued conversations with her despite her telling him she was 13 - and he repeatedly asked her to send him photographs of her thighs and crotch area in leggings or tights.
Cooper sent 'Grace' a photograph of his penis and moved their conversations onto Instagram. He told her "it's our secret" and made lewd remarks. He asked about her underwear, told her he was pleasuring himself while thinking about her, and said he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.
The contact, which spanned from May 11 to August 4 last year, came to an end and he was arrested in November. Cooper pleaded guilty to attempted communication with a child and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Carmel Wilde, defending, said Cooper, who has no previous convictions, "knew it was wrong and deleted the app." She added his partner and mum of his one-year-old child, had written a letter in support of him "which speaks volumes about the better side of him.
“He had a normal life and describes his behaviour as like being in a cloud. He is mystified. He puts his behaviour in the context of escapism against background of emotional upheaval.”
Miss Wilde said Cooper's five year marriage had ended acrimoniously in 2019. His wife had an affair and Cooper, who has autism traits, struggled to deal with it.
Judge Murray jailed Cooper for 27 months. The judge also imposed a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period of time.
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