A 31-YEAR-OLD man who sent perverted messages to a friend’s little sister over Facebook and other social media has been jailed for three years.

Steven Taylor told the 13-year-old that he wanted her to take pictures of herself in a nappy and said he would like to have sex with her like that.

And as well as encouraging her to send him pictures of herself topless and in her underwear, he also took an obscene photograph of himself and sent if to the child.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Taylor made contact with the girl using Facebook, WhatsApp and XBox Live. She said the case came to light when the child’s mum happened to notice pictures of her daughter in her underwear on her phone, as well as pictures of a naked man.

The police were called in and the child told officers how Taylor started to contact her late last year on social networks.

“He was well aware of her age because he wished her a happy 13th birthday,” Miss Squire said. “In January this year, almost on a daily basis, she received numerous messages and he asked her to send pictures of herself either topless or in underwear.

“The contact wasn’t just in relation to photographs. It then moved on to what the defendant would like to do to her and what he wanted to encourage her to become involved with.

“Throughout this messaging contact of a very sexual explicit behaviour inciting her to behave in the manner alleged in the indictment.

“It took on a rather unpleasant sort of fetishist manner with the defendant suggesting to her that he would like her to wear a nappy and photograph herself in a nappy and he would like to have sex with her in a nappy.

“Yes, she did respond and respond in kind to these messages but one must not lose sight of her age and vulnerability.”

Miss Squire said the victim had experienced dark thoughts about killing herself after the matter came out, saying she had lost her self respect as a result of it.

Taylor, of Booth House, Spring Gardens, admitted six counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of the youngster.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client appeared to be ‘a bit of a loner’ but had relationships with women of similar ages to him over the years.

“He realises that this is almost certainly going to be a custodial sentence, he also realises that he needs help,” he said.

Passing sentence, Recorder Nicholas Atkinson QC said: “The gravity of these offences are that this concerned a child and you are more than twice the age of that child.”

Jailing him, he added: “You have an opportunity to seek assistance if you can be assisted. This is a sad and depressing life or world that you happened to be encountering.”

A sexual offences prevention order restricting his liberty for 10 years was imposed and Taylor must register as a sex offender indefinitely.