An Ashford teenager posed as a girl online... to lure young boys into “sexting” erotic pictures of themselves.

Keen basketball and football referee, Ryan Lee, 19, created a fake Facebook page in the name of “Amber Lovejoy” and then targeted youngsters.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court heard how he used photographs of a real girl in various sexual poses to entice 26 victims into exchanging lurid videos and images by text.

'Please help me!' - the harrowing words of an abused boy. Scroll down

His lawyer Kerry Waitt said: “This case demonstrates that sexting is dangerous and degrading.”

Lee, 19, of Cudworth Road, Willesborough has now been sent to a Young Offender’s Institute for five years after admitting 11 sex offences.

Prosecutor Vivian Walters told how police raided his home in February this year and discovered disgusting sex images and videos on his computer.

Lee is a keen referee and travelled around the country officiating at basketball and football games, she said.

“He was arrested and cautioned and asked if he had been accessing indecent images of children and he said he had. He then pointed out which computers he had used.”

In May, while in bail he was arrested again after further allegations were made against him and remanded in custody.

She added: “He was inciting children to engage in sexual activity after he contacted the boys after creating a false Facebook account in the name of "Amber Lovejoy", who he claimed was a teenage girl.

“He told police he had contacted 26 boys, aged in their early teens, and persuaded them to send him images and videos.”

Ms Walters said Lee used pictures of a girl which he then used to persuade boys to exchange images via Facebook and Snapchat.

“Fortunately none of the pictures identified the face of the teenage girl, “ she added.

After being bailed, part of the conditions banned him from using a computer or accessing the Internet but Lee broke into his mother’s computer bag and began another relationship with another victim.

The child told his parents and Lee was re-arrested and charged with more sex offences.

Lee told police he also possessed images given to him from a man in his late 50’s – he believed was Spanish – who sent him obscene pictures.

Judge Heather Norton asked the CPS if all the victims had been contacted and Ms Walters said the enquiries were still “ongoing”.

“I hope the message goes out to young people that if they find themselves in a similar position that they can do something about it” - Judge Heather Norton

The judge said: “It seems to be that everyone of those children is vulnerable and everyone should be contacted to make sure they are safe.

Mr Waitt said Lee accepts that “nothing other than custody” is acceptable for what he has done.

”He does not seek to excuse his behaviour, “ he added

The judge said that Lee had been coming to terms with his own sexuality when he committed the offences by setting up the fake Facebook account.

But, she added, one of his victims felt he was being “blackmailed” into sending sex images which had distressed the youngster and some of his victims “may never recover” from their ordeal.

She said Lee is regarded as a posing a high risk of further offending.

The judge said that the courage shown by one victim in turning to his parents should be an example to others.

She added: “I hope the message goes out to young people that if they find themselves in a similar position that they can do something about it.”

She ordered Lee to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for life and made him subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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“He has not done anything wrong. Yet he thought and still thinks he has"

The parents of one of the victims were praised by Judge Heather Norton for allowing the consequences of Lee’s betrayal to be highlighted at the sentencing hearing.

The victim’s parents, who sat in the public gallery throughout the hearing, wrote of their “pride and love” for their child’s courage in begging them for help.

She said their words needed to be aired because of the dangers to youngsters being contacted online “is growing and it’s prevalent and is serious.”

She added: “Many young people feel totally unable to deal with it or to know what they could and should do.

“And what this victim did in this case was absolutely the right thing and what his parents did is what I would expect any caring parent to do if they child comes to them . They deserve to be praised and he was courageous.”

They revealed, in a Victim Personal Statement: “We will never forget that date and the time.”

They told how the family “relied on each other” and enjoyed being together with the usual “homework and brushing of teeth.”

“However on that day, at six o’clock in the morning it all changed. Our son coming into our bedroom, asking to talk and then crying and begging for our help.

“In his words: “Please help me!’ That will stay with us forever. As parents having a son telling you something that will affect them forever in such a negative way is indescribable.”

The parents said they felt guilt, asking themselves “why didn’t we protect him more?”

“That was followed by shock, confusion and anger...and then pride because our son was able to talk to us and tell us what had happened to him.

“Our son is a caring, hard working and is always respectful. He excels at the sport he has played since he was seven years old. He is also very funny and is compassionate.”

The parents revealed that the victim has since undergone counselling to deal with the consequences.

They added: “He has not done anything wrong. Yet he thought and still thinks he has. He is the victim in this situation.

"We hope our son fully understands how much we love him and our hearts nearly burst..and the manipulative actions of an individual will never change that”.