AN ONLINE sex pest who got young boys to carry out indecent acts on themselves over the internet has been told he could be facing a lengthy jail term.

Robert Mulhern walked out of court in October last year after a judge put him on a suspended sentence for preying on boys playing games such as Call Of Duty.

But within months the 24-year-old was back at his computer coercing two boys, aged 11 and 13, to commit sex acts.

And he was also going on to the dark web in breach of the conditions of an order which banned him from even having a computer capable of accessing the internet.

Now he has been remanded in custody so a further psychiatric assessment can be made on him.

Mulhern, of Twickenham Close, admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He accepted that between May 1 and July 28 this year he got the two boys to carry out sex acts.

The defendant also admitted four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order between February 1 and July 28.

When the order was made in October it had a number of conditions designed to prevent him re-offending, but he breached in four ways.

He had a computer capable of accessing the internet, accessed the dark web, used online gaming software and had unsupervised contact with a child under 16.

Peter Binder, defending, said when his client was put on a two- year suspended sentence last year a psychiatric assessment found he had an emotionally unstable personality disorder because of his childhood.

He said earlier this year Mulhern’s father died and he found the body in the flat they shared, which was a trigger for his re-offending.

He said the latest matters took place before the earlier order could get under way as his mental health had to be stabilised before it could take hold.

After Mulhern’s anxiety spun out of control Mr Binder said he was back online and setting up a game group, or clan, and offended in an almost identical way.

“Then drugs became an issued again, everything went wrong, and he went back to what he was doing before he appeared at this court,” Mr Binder said.

He said since Mulhern was remanded in custody he had self harmed and had spent much of the time on the hospital wing.

Judge Robert Pawson adjourned the case to Friday, October 13, and remanded him in custody until then.

He said: “I say this Mr Mulhern, I am not saying it to frighten you, I am saying it because it would not be fair on you not to say it: There is every prospect of the suspended sentence being activated and that there being a further sentence on top.”

It was only in October that Mulhern was spared jail after he admitted grooming four boys, aged 11 and 12, online.

After contacting them for his online game group he got the lads to smack themselves on the bottom while he watched over Skype.

And after the police spoke to him about the first offences he then pretended to be a 12-year-old girl by creating a fictitious account.

An NSPCC spokesperson for South West England said: “The online world offers many opportunities for children, but it also creates new risks, including the potential for unwanted communication with strangers.

“The NSPCC would urge parents and carers to speak with children from a young age about online safety, equipping them with the skills to navigate the web, in an effort to build trust and openness to keep everyone safe.”

For tips on keeping children safe online, visit www.net-aware.org.uk or www.internetmatters.org