A woman posed as a man to persuade two teenage girls to send her intimate photos of themselves and perform sex acts, a court heard.

Emily Timms, who was said to be confused about her sexuality, repeatedly arranged to meet her victims, one of whom lived in the Tonbridge area, but never turned up.

Instead, she contacted them on FaceTime and sat in a darkened room so they couldn't see her face while she told them to perform sex acts on themselves.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Timms was inspired by the MTV programme Catfish where people adopt a false identity on social media to find love.

The 23-year-old claimed she did not realise she was committing an offence.

But Judge Charles Macdonald QC jailed her for three years, saying a deterrent was necessary.

Timms admitted three offences of causing a person to engage in sexual activity, causing child pornography and causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography.

Her not guilty pleas to blackmail and another charge of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography were accepted by the prosecution.

Judge Macdonald said he accepted Timms did not believe she was committing an offence but said she knew she was "adopting a dishonest trick."

He said: “She claims to be confused by her sexuality and inspired by the programme Catfish to adopt a false identity in the hope of finding a happy ending with a female partner.

"Doubts about sexual orientation are common in relatively young people and that can be widely tested without pretending to be a man and deceiving a young girl.

"It is obtaining sexual gratification by deception."

Prosecutor Claire Huntley said one of the girls, aged 16 and living in the Tonbridge area, saw an Instagram profile of "Joey Knight" created by Timms, then 20, in September 2015 and made contact.

They exchanged mobile phone numbers and texted each other.

They spoke on the phone and arranged to meet several times but Timms either made an excuse or did not turn up.

She would apologise and send flowers, including 50 red roses costing £160, and sent gifts including a Marc Jacobs watch.

Timms told her on one occasion: "I really like you. I don’t want to lose you. I will make it up to you."

She even contacted the girl while on holiday in New York telling her in a message: "Show me your t---."

The teenager sent photos of herself in her underwear and agreed to touch herself.

Timms also persuaded her to perform a sex act.

After again failing to show for a date, Timms phoned the girl claiming to be Joey’s sister Daisy to tell her: "He really likes you."

Timms also sent the teenager a pink vibrator and told her to use it while they spoke on the phone.

"The sexual messages increased," said Miss Huntley.

"They would be sexting a lot more.

"She sent more explicit photographs. She also sent videos."

On the girl’s birthday Timms sent flowers, Champagne and a birthday balloon. There were further gifts on Valentine’s Day.

On FaceTime, the teenager could only see a dark room and television screen. When asked why she couldn’t see “him” Timms replied “he” did not look very good.

"There is a significant impact here featuring loss of trust and reluctance to form relationships" - Judge Charles Macdonald

Timms was eventually rumbled when checks were made on Joey Knight and it turned out to be one of her Facebook friends.

Miss Huntely said Timms had behaved the same way three years earlier with another teenager aged 16 and 17 over 14 months.

She persuaded that victim to also send indecent images of herself and perform sex acts.

That teenager never discovered Joey was a woman until police called to take a statement.

She told officers the voice sounded male but she never saw the person on FaceTime because the screen was dark.

Judge Macdonald said Timms, of Parker Close, Crawley, West Sussex, threatened to publish indecent images of the first girl if she did not return a watch she had sent as a present.

He told Timms, who wept on being jailed: "There is a significant impact here featuring loss of trust and reluctance to form relationships.

"There was a sense of betrayal and loss of confidence.

"There is mitigation in the form of genuine remorse and positive good character but punishment and deterrence are required.”

"Even if the sentence was short enough to consider suspension, I would not do so.”

Timms’ name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order was also made which will also last 10 years.

She will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.