A pervert who sent sexual images to who he thought was a 12-year-old boy was caught with photos of children as young as eight.

Daniel Neary was arrested by police after he started messaging who he thought was a boy named Rory on a dating website.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the 41-year-old sent a naked image of himself to the profile, encouraging the boy to carry out sexual acts on himself.

He also sent a sexual photo of another person and attempted to solicit images unsuccessfully.

The profile was in fact an undercover police officer. When officers went to his home in Warburton Road, Southampton, they seized several devices.

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On these, they found photos of children as young as eight, as well as a number of search terms used to gain indecent images described as “disgusting” by judge Peter Henry.

In total, police found a Category A image – the most severe grading – as well as 22 Category C photographs.

Neary pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between July 7 and July 14, 2022.

He also admitted two charges of possessing indecent photographs of children despite initially denying some of the devices were his, Prosecutor Grace McConell said.

Mitigating, Stephen Tricker said there is a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”, adding that Neary has no previous offences.

“He will work with probation to address the issues that have led to him going down this rather dark path.”

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But Judge Henry told him: “You did not only have a sexual interest in children, but you were believing that you were communicating with a child and encouraging that child to engage in revolting exercises for your own sexual gratification.

“You had at the time a terminally ill father. You described yourself as going off the rails in effect.

“It may well be that you have suffered personal loss and difficulties but that is no excuse for embarking on this disgraceful type of behaviour.

“This appears, I hope, to be a one-off session of this type of offending.”

Neary received a ten-month sentence suspended for two years with 40 rehabilitation days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements for the next 10 years.