A sick pervert who sent 'utterly disgusting' messages to schoolgirls has been jailed.
Jamie Lines downloaded child abuse images and started messaging 'girls' online - at least two of which were actually undercover police officers.
The 31-year-old told them he wanted to have sex with them, despite the girls telling him that they were aged 13.
He asked one victim to send photos of herself wearing less clothes and showed her a photo of his genitals, Stoke-on-Tent Live reports.
The vile predator also messaged her pictures of a woman's private parts, telling her he wanted to perform a sex act on her, before sending a video performing a sex act on himself.
Lines asked a second girl, who told him she was 13, if she wanted to perform a sex act on him, graphically described how they would have sex and repeatedly asked for naked photos.
And he sent a third girl he understood to be aged 11 'utterly disgusting' messages.
Now Lines has been jailed for three-and-a-half years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Ben Lawrence said police executed a search warrant at the defendant's address on May 26, 2019. Mr Lawrence said: "A Samsung mobile phone was seized. There were illegal images and evidence of sending sexualised messages and images to other people, female children."
Police found three still images and four moving images at category A - the most serious; two still images and three movies at category B; 26 stills and one moving image at category C; and one still accessible pornographic image.
Mr Lawrence said: "He admits downloading indecent images in 2018 and 2019.
"The defendant was in contact with three young females using kik. Two of the girls were police officers from the south west of England."
On January 28, 2019 he sent a message to one of the girls, stating, 'Hi cutie'. She replied months later on April 9.
Mr Lawrence said: "He said he was 26. She told him she was 13. He asked if she was single. He said she was pretty, kind, sweet and beautiful. He said he could be her girlfriend.
"On April 15, 2019 he told her she meant the world to him. He said he could drive to meet her. She had stolen his heart and he would always love her. He asked if she was ok dating an older guy. He said he wanted to have sex with her and to be her first and only love."
Lines told the girl he had performed a sex act on himself while thinking about her and asked for photos of her wearing less clothes. He showed her a photo of his private parts.
He sent her photos of a woman's private parts and told her he wanted to perform a sex act on her. He sent her a video of himself performing a sex act on himself.
Lines requested 'naughty pictures' from the girl.
On May 7, 2019 the defendant said he hoped the girl was real and 'not some catfish trying to get him arrested'.
And on June 21, 2019 they discussed travel arrangements for her to get to the defendant's North Staffordshire home.
Lines had similar sexualised conversations with another girl. He told her she was beautiful. She told him she was 13 and he said he was 27.
Mr Lawrence said: "He said her lips were so cute he wanted to kiss her. He asked if she could skip school and spend the day with him. He said the four-and-a-half hour travel time to Dorset was not too bad if they wanted to make it work.
"He asked if she wanted to perform a sex act on him.
"He graphically described how they would have sex. He repeatedly asked for naked photos."
In his police interview the defendant said he had an addiction to pornography and had accessed a support group.
Lines, of Haregate Road, Leek, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photos of a child; possession of an extreme pornographic image; three charges of attempted sexual communication with a child; attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity; and two charges of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
Hamish Noble, mitigating, conceded the offending was serious. He said: "He was at the time living on his own. His only relationship was with his brother. He was under significant stress at work, his father had a serious heart attack, his grandfather had cancer. These were all factors which caused the defendant some distress.
"It is accepted that the conversations are shocking. The purpose he says was to use them as a way of receiving indecent images."
Mr Noble said two of the three females were decoys and it is not known if the third was. He said the defendant, who has no previous convictions or cautions, did not pretend to be a child.
Mr Noble added: "He had no intention to travel. It was discussed but only in general terms. He had no intention of having physical contact."
Judge Paul Glenn said: "There is evidence of grooming. You showered the first girl with compliments. You moved on to have explicit sexual conversations.
"You requested she sent you naughty pictures or videos."
He said the defendant's comments to the third girl were 'utterly disgusting'.
Judge Glenn added: "You are plainly sexually attracted to children, despite your denial.
"You gave little or no thought to the damage and hurt you might be doing. You prioritised your own sexual gratification.
"You were grooming her to engage in sexual activity with you. But no sexual activity occurred, not through lack of effort on your part but because there was no real child.
"It is so serious only immediate custody is appropriate."
Lines was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was placed on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life. And he was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.
Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Shaun Ashworth, the officer in charge of the case, said: “Lines abused the trust of strangers on the internet and committed sinister acts on vulnerable children.
“I’m happy that we have been able to deliver justice and I hope this sentence serves as a reminder that these heinous criminals will be dealt with accordingly.”
