'Ordinary' Hartlepool man Murray Calvert asked 12-year-old decoy to watch sex act in undercover police sting

Murray Calvert, 33, engaged in online sexual chats with a “girl”, who he believed to be 12, in February last year after initiating a conversation on social media.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard how Calvert, of Celandine Gardens, in Hartlepool, sent the undercover police officer images of a sex toy in his bedroom and wanted “her” to watch him use them.

Heather Blair, prosecuting, said: “The defendant sent images to the child and asked that the child watch him masturbate.”

The court heard how Calvert, who has no previous convictions, was engaged in a number of “legal” phone conversations when the sexual chats took place.

Neil Taylor, in mitigation, said: “He says he was flipping between phone conversations. All but one were legal.”

He continued: “He should have known better but the reality was there was no suggestion that he would meet anyone or that things would go any further. It was almost not real life.”

The sexual chats were described by his solicitor as “short” in nature and took place over a “short” period of time.

After the case took more than a year to reach court, Calvert pleaded guilty to the offence when he first appeared at the Middlesbrough court on March 10 of this year.

He was given credit for this when his sentence was calculated when he returned to court in April to learn his fate.

Calvert was given a two-year community order.

Its terms include a requirement to complete both 30 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Calvert was also given a sexual harm prevention order that restricts the behaviour of individuals convicted of certain sexual offences.

He must also pay a £114 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs and the court has also ordered the forfeit and destruction of the sex toy.

Mr Taylor, who described his client as an “ordinary man” and a “trusted employee”, said: “The devastating effects of this continue to play out and will continue to play out after today.”