A SILLOTH man tried to arrange sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy in a McDonald’s restaurant car park.

But 36-year-old Malcolm Bainbridge was unaware the person he was communicating with online during what became a highly “sexualised” conversation was an-undercover police officer.

The defendant, of Skinburness Drive, Silloth, admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that the defendant committed the offence on April 25 after logging on to the Grindr social networking platform.

Despite being clearly told the person he was speaking to was aged 14, he agreed to move the conversation on to Snapchat.

He also lied about his age, telling the person he was three years younger that he actually is.

When a meeting in the defendant’s car at the McDonald’s restaurant car park at Workington was proposed, Bainbridge began suggesting that they mutually perform sex acts on each other.

He was arrested at 7.15pm when he arrived at the car park and was met not by a 14-year-old but by police officers, who arrested him.

Bainbridge was a man of previous good character, the court heard.

Sean Harkin, defending, said Bainbridge was a carer for his mother, who suffered badly from depression and depended on her son. His presence in the home ensured she gets her medication, said the lawyer.

Mr Harkin added: “He has lost his job but has happily found himself a new job, and that is a protective factor.”

Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: “I have no doubt that you believed you were talking to a real 14-year-old. The language became sexualised relatively quickly, with a discussion about sexual experiences and various sexual acts.

“That is the sexual communication charge.

“You then began to discuss going to McDonald’s where you encouraged the person you believed to be a 14-year-old male to go there with you to meet and the purpose of that meeting was for the pair of you to engage in mutual [sex acts.”

What happened was not a “marginal invitation”. It was a proposed meeting based on the genuine belief of Bainbridge that he going to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.

But there had been no exchange of images of a sexual nature. In references, people spoke well of Bainbridge.

The judge imposed a 21-month jail term, suspended for two years. The sentence includes 35 rehabilitation activity days and an accredited programme as well as 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Bainbridge will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade.