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A perverted grandad sent a picture of his penis to a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Alan Cherry previously had sex chats with an undercover police officer, who he believed was a girl aged 13, in 2017.

When his home was raided, a sick stash of indecent images - including children as young as three - was discovered.

He was handed a three-year community order, so he could go on a sex offenders treatment programme, in 2018.

But the 62-year-old ignored a judge's warning and a year later was back online, trying to corrupt another girl.

Liverpool Crown Court heard a 'paedophile hunter' group set up a fake profile on Kik Messenger with the name of 'Sarah'.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Cherry messaged Sarah on October 28, 2019, who immediately told him she was 14.

Mr Jones said they started chatting and "very soon" Cherry - who revealed his true age - asked if she performed sex acts.

The former window cleaner repeatedly asked for naked photos, despite her saying: "Not again, you're embarrassing me."

Mr Jones said: "He sent a photograph of his penis to the person he thought was a 14-year-old girl."

(Image: Lynda Roughley)

Over a "few days" Cherry repeatedly asked Sarah about performing a sex act and encouraged her to do it.

He then spoke to another member of the group - with an adult profile - and arranged to meet in Liverpool.

They detained him in the city centre, until police arrived and he was arrested, on November 22.

Cherry confessed to officers and accepted he thought the girl was 14 and the chats were for sexual gratification.

The pervert, of no fixed address but formerly of Akenside Court, Bootle, admitted attempted sexual communication with a child.

In June 2017, Cherry told an undercover officer posing as a girl called 'Chloe' that he would love to be in bed with her.

He told the supposed 13-year-old "that's a sexy age" and repeatedly asked if she was wearing her school uniform.

Cherry told her he was "horny", asked about her underwear, and requested explicit pictures.

They also spoke via Skype, during which Cherry stripped naked and performed a sex act in front of the camera.

Police raided his then home in Claremont Road, Seaforth, and found 218 indecent images.

(Image: Lynda Roughley)

The dad of three grown up children admitted four counts of downloading and possessing indecent images.

He also admitted two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and one of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Speaking at the time, defence lawyers said Cherry was a window cleaner until he fractured his spine and was left unable to work, aside from voluntary efforts making furniture for a charity.

Martine Snowdown said he helped one of his daughters look after her children and had a close relationship with another child and their children.

(Image: Liverpool ECHO)

She said he was a "lonely individual" who could not understand why he had gone from viewing adult pornography to child sexual abuse images.

However, she said his arrest had been a "wake up call" and he was ashamed and remorseful.

On that occasion, Judge Rachel Smith said Cherry had started to address his behaviour and if jailed would not receive rehabilitation after his release.

Along with the community order, she imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Judge Smith warned him it was "a suspended sentence in all but name".

Jonathan Duffy, defending Cherry today, said: "The defendant's antecedent record speaks for itself.

"He's clearly somebody who has a problem in his apparent predilection for contacting and looking at children in a sexual way. He understands that and is hoping to be helped to deal with it."

He added: "He has been approached on an online forum by somebody who has deliberately set out to in their mind provide a public service by ensnaring a potential or those with a potential interest in children sexually.

"Well, Alan Cherry does have that propensity and on this occasion allowed himself to be in his mind anyway lured into the conversation."

Mr Duffy said there was in fact no child harmed and Cherry had only ever intended and arranged to meet an adult.

Judge Smith said prison was inevitable given Cherry's criminal record and the fact he was already serving a community sentence.

She said the maximum sentence was two years in jail and Cherry would receive a discount of one third for his guilty plea.

The judge jailed him for eight months, told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, and renewed his Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.