Child sex offender caught by two decoys online
Cleveland PoliceA child sex offender who was caught by two online decoys has been jailed for six years.
Adam Scott, 52, thought he was speaking to girls aged 12 and 14 online when he sent repeated sexual messages, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Even after being arrested and released under investigation for messaging the first girl, Scott got a new phone and started contacting the second.
Scott, from Middlesbrough, admitted six offences including attempting to engage a child in sexual communication.
Police went to his home and seized his phone on 26 September 2025 after receiving information he had been sending sexual messages to a child, prosecutor Nigel Soppitt said.
They discovered he had contacted a profile of a 12-year-old girl set up by undercover operatives on chatroom Chatib, the court heard.
Over the course of several days he sent repeated sexual messages, offered to teach the girl how to perform sex acts and "kiss it better" if he were to hurt her, the court heard.
Scott was released under investigation, but got a new phone and was caught by another decoy on Chatib in February, the court heard, who again reported him to police.
On that occasion he contacted what he thought was a 14-year-old girl and over more than a week again deluged her with sexual messages and pictures.
Scott offered to buy her "takeaways and stuff" in exchange for sex and when he received an indecent photograph, he replied "I like it, I like it a lot", the court heard.
Police also found an extreme pornographic image featuring a woman and dog on his phone, the court heard.
Scott must also comply with a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.
