A pervert who tried to lure teenage girls into performing sex acts for him online and kept indecent images of children has been jailed for six years.

Alan Morris, who lived in Ruckinge near Ashford, sent sexual messages – including pictures of himself – to someone he thought was a child on an internet chat site in February.

Morris stated that he was 65 in his messages and also sent videos of sexual material to the youngster.

He was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order issued in 2018 after he was found guilty of previous offences.

This forbade him from accessing the internet without informing police, using devices without specific monitoring software on them and a range of other online activities.

The paedophile was arrested on February 8, and further examination of his mobile phone uncovered indecent images of children, as well as recent sexual communication.

He was charged later the same day.

Morris, formerly of Poundhurst Lane, admitted various offences at Canterbury Crown Court and was sentenced to six years in prison - including a year’s imprisonment for breach of the protection order - with four years to serve on licence upon his release.

DC Barbara Zamorska said: “The reason we push for Sexual Harm Prevention Orders to be put in place is so that children in Britain and around the world can be protected from abuse by predators such as Alan Morris.

“Morris had nothing but contempt for the court order that was imposed on him and persisted in attempting to lure teenage girls online into committing sexual acts.

“I hope the sentence he has received serves as a reminder that our investigators will hunt down offenders who would use the internet in an attempt to carry out their vile crimes and strive to bring them to justice.”