A PERVERTED Carlisle man has been jailed and put on the Sex Offender Register after he chatted online with a "child" about sex.

Ben Howat, 40, pleaded guilty to three offences at the city’s crown court, where a prosecutor said the defendant was caught in an online police sting during which he believed he was chatting to a 12-year-old girl.

It was actually an under-cover police officer.

Howat, of Thirwall Gardens, Carlisle, admitted downloading child abuse images, and attempting to communicate sexually with a “child” and attempting to make the same child watch sexual activity.

The court heard that he committed the sexual communication offence between April 12 of this year and April 27. He tried to make the child watch online sexual activity on April 13.

The images offence related to 10 Category C child abuse images, which the defendant downloaded on dates in December 2021.

Howat was jailed for 19 months.

The judge also put the defendant on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years and made a sexual harm prevention order which will restrict the defendant’s online behaviour for the same period.

After the case concluoded, Detective Constable Sarah Aiston, from Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit, said: “This case was another example of the work ongoing through Operation Alliance, which is our response to offences including serious crime.

“It was also conducted through joint work with the Yorkshire and Humber Regional and Organised Crime Unit.

“We are regularly seeing cases such as this appearing before the courts following the work of officers across the force and detectives in our Cyber and Digital Crime Unit, as well as the work we do with other agencies.

"Let this be a warning to anyone who has, or is considering communicating with children sexually, that you will face the full force of the law.

“You must also consider the devastating consequences for your family, friends and employment.”

Data released on March last year showed the depth of the problem on online child sex offending across Cumbria. Nearly 4,000 people in Cumbria sought advice or support about their own or a loved one’s online sexual behaviour in year to March.

The Stop it Now! charity revealed that the number of people from Cumbria seeking support from its confidential helpline has increased by 305 per cent in the past twelve months.

According to the data, 3,927 people in Cumbria sought advice or support via its services in 2022. The charity operates a confidential helpline, whose number is 0808 1000 900.