A convicted sex offender posed as a 16-year-old boy to get a teenage girl to pose topless and perform sex acts over the internet.

Now Daniel Denny, 36, has been jailed for three years and put on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely after being caught posing as a teenager called Josh.

Denny, previously of Union Crescent, Margate, was sentenced to a three-year community order at Canterbury Crown Court after being charged with sexual grooming of a child under 16 years and voyeurism.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

But in May last year Denny was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of indecent images of children and breach of the SOPO.

Officers discovered he had been in contact with a 13-year-old girl from Staffordshire.

He had pretended to be a 16-year-old boy called Josh, had sent her gifts through the post and asked her to perform sex acts. Denny was charged in March this year and admitted breaching the SOPO and inciting a child to perform sexual acts.

He appeared at Canterbury Crown Court after admitting the offences and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

DS Mikaela Stevens said: ‘Denny has shown, not only a complete disregard for his previous orders, but also actively sought out an innocent child to target for his own sexual gratification, concealing his identity from her to do so.

“This case is a stark reminder to people that not all those using the internet are as they appear.”