A CARLISLE man sent lewd sexual images to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl while “off his head” amid a relationship break-up and cocaine use.

The “child” in question was actually an adult decoy operating a Facebook account. They were posing as a 13-year-old girl said to be based in eastern England.

One initial message sent to that account from a second profile read “too cute”. “The decoy made it plain she was 13,” Rachel Faux, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court.

City man Leighton Lewis, now aged 31, was operating that second account. He gave fake personal information during the message exchange and said, falsely, he was based in County Durham.

After Lewis sent explicit images, including a lewd video, details of the chat were sent to a local police force.

Information relating to the defendant’s device was linked initially to the Cumbria area. He was arrested in May this year.

“He attempted to hide his phone,” said Ms Faux of that police visit. “The device was seized. He was interviewed later that day and accepted the offence.”

Lewis, of Lediard Avenue, Carlisle, spoke of a relationship breakdown, misusing cocaine and being “off his head” as a result. This had affected his consequential thinking.

When brought to court he admitted attempting to cause or incite a child to look at sexual activity imagery between early August and early September last year.

The court heard Lewis was given a 16-month prison sentence for burglary in 2019, and a community order for possessing cannabis with intent to supply later the same year.

Marion Weir, mitigating, said Lewis had described the online image offence as “disgusting” in a police interview.

“He accepts the seriousness of this matter and accepts that had this been a 13-year-old child of course there would have been significant harm,” said Ms Weir. “He is remorseful for his actions.”

Lewis had latterly received professional counselling and been drug-free.

After hearing submissions, Judge Michael Fanning said he was satisfied there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and imposed a three-year community order.

During that period, Lewis must attend up to 45 sessions on an accredited programme, complete rehabilitation work with the probation service and pay a £500.

For the next 10 years he is also subject to the terms of a prevention order and sex offender notification requirements.