A lorry driver with the social media username Horny Trucker spoke with another paedophile online of looking at young girls in the town centre, a court heard.

Mark Forte was sent indecent images of children as young as six by the other Kik app user, whose username was “Ravman1”.

The 52-year-old grandfather from Pinehurst said the images had made him aroused before going on to send the other user a category C child sex abuse image.

Prosecutor Sue Cavender told Swindon Crown Court yesterday police had been tipped off in 2018 that Forte, using the Horny Trucker Kik account, had been speaking to another online about sexually abusing the other Kik user’s young daughter.

No criminal charges were brought in connection with that conversation. However, when police analysed Forte’s Acer computer they found a message thread dating back to December 2015 between the his account and another user called “Ravman1”.

The latter sent Forte six indecent images of children, including one in the most serious category.

The Swindon man replied, saying they made him feel sexually aroused.

The pair went on to talk about seeing young girls in town wearing short skirts and crop tops.

Forte sent the other person in the chat a number of images, only one of which showed a child.

Ms Cavender said the defendant had only one previous conviction, which was for an unrelated driving matter and dated back to 1992.

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Forte used social media app Kik

Defending, Nik Strobl said his client’s business had gone bust in 2010, forcing him to find work as a long distance lorry driver hauling goods across Europe. His wife had fallen ill.

“He self-medicated with alcohol, drinking heavily at the time and then leading him to entering into these conversations online that led to these offences,” the barrister said.

Since the offences were committed he had found new employment with more sociable hours, enabling him to better care for his wife. He was the main breadwinner and the family would lose their home if he were sent to prison.

Mr Strobl said that at the time Forte “did not fully comprehend the suffering that is caused by the viewing of such images, seeing it more as an image rather than the person within these images”.

He now better understood the impact of his offending, was remorseful and motivated to work with the probation service.

The barrister pointed to the significant delay in bringing the case to court, telling the judge that no further offences had been committed since his client’s crimes came to light.

Forte, of Cunningham Road, Pinehurst, pleaded guilty to distribution of an indecent image, encouraging the distribution of an indecent image and possession of indecent images of children in three categories. The latter charge related to the images sent to him by “Ravman”.

As it was not clear what type of image Forte had asked “Ravman” to send, Judge Jason Taylor QC said he would sentence on the basis that the defendant had asked for an image equivalent to category B – with the offence carrying a starting point of a year’s imprisonment.

The judge sentenced Forte to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, ordering he complete 30 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work.

“I have no doubt the right course of action here when I look at the Sentencing Council’s imposition guidelines is to suspend it,” Judge Taylor said, citing the prospect Forte could be rehabilitated, the impact a prison sentence would have on his family and the delay in the case.

Forte must abide by a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and sign onto the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.