Antony Newnes

Antony Newnes, 34, appeared before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court after admitting to attempted sexual communication with a child. The court heard that Newnes had posed as a woman named 'Stacey' on the Badoo dating website before making contact with an undercover operative from Red Rose UK, who was posing as a teenage girl.

Prosecutor Michael Embleton told the court that conversations between Newnes and the decoy took place between 27 January and 14 February. The communications became sexualised, and Newnes sent a video of a woman performing a sex act, claiming it was footage of 'Stacey'. The paedophile hunters subsequently contacted the police and confronted Newnes at his home in Peterlee.

Jaxon Taylor, mitigating, said Newnes accepted sending the messages but maintained that the content did not become sexually inappropriate until the early hours of 14 February. He noted that the images sent were not of Newnes himself but were of a sexual nature.

Chairman of the bench Colling Morris sentenced Newnes to six months' custody, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Newnes was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years and to pay £239 in court costs. An application for a sexual harm prevention order was adjourned to a later date.

The case was prosecuted by Durham Constabulary.