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A man in his 50s who groomed a schoolgirl and demanded she send him a sexual video has been jailed for four years.

Anthony Corbett, 53, exchanged numerous inappropriate messages with the teenager who sent him an explicit video of herself.

He paid her compliments and told her to send him a similar video.

Corbett was caught after he lost his mobile phone in Hartlepool town centre causing him panic and it was handed into the police by a member of the public.

Anthony Corbett, formerly of Hartlepool, was jailed for four years for grooming offences at Teesside Crown Court.

Chris Baker, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said: “On checking the phone in an attempt to locate the owner they came across an indecent video of a child.”

Police traced the girl and messages between her and Corbett were found on her phone and a tablet.

Mr Baker said: “There are two occasions when videos are either asked for or sent.”

He added: “In interview he agreed he had been talking to the victim and they were speaking in a sexual manner.

Anthony Corbett exchanged numerous messages with the teenage victim.

"He agreed that what he had done was wrong and things would have continued if he hadn’t been caught.”

Corbett, previously of Hartlepool, now of Bosworth Way, Billingham, pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted charges of sexual communication with a child, possession of an indecent photograph of a child, and breaching interim notification requirements by failing to report to the police station on a given day.

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In mitigation, the court heard the sexual activity he incited did not actually happen.

Corbett also did not have any previous convictions for sex offences, but does have a long record of dishonesty.

Defence barrister Stephen Constantine said: “He’s at something of a loss how he allowed himself to let things go as far as they did and he’s thoroughly ashamed.”

The judge, Recorder Peter Hampton, said there were a number of aggravating features including the significant age gap.

Jailing Corbett, Recorder Hampton said: “There’s only one person to blame for you being sat here and that is you, not the child that I find you groomed and manipulated.”

He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Hartlepool pervert who groomed schoolgirl and demanded sexual video jailed at Teesside Crown Court