Paedophile who had sick chats with 'teenage girls' claimed they were adults engaging in 'roleplay'

A paedophile who thought he was having sick chats with teenage girls claimed they were actually adults engaging in 'roleplay'.

Adam Ali, 35, believed he was chatting with 13-year-old girls called 'Becky' and 'Noemi'.

But he was actually having sexualised conversations with undercover police officers, who used his messages to prosecute him.

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Ali, who admitted being a man in his 30s, did not stop when the 'girls' told him how old they were.

"If anything you were encouraged," a judge said.

After being arrested, Ali claimed he believed the 'girls' were actually adults taking part in 'roleplay', Manchester Crown Court heard.

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But he pleaded guilty to trying to have sexual communications with two 'children', and avoided jail after a judge heard he had become isolated.

Ali began to send messages to the first 'girl' after telling her he was 'horny', in February 2019.

He sent her a video and a picture of his penis, and asked for images of her.

He continued to send sexualised messages, before the undercover officer stopped replying and contact ended a few weeks later.

Ali was snared by a second undercover officer, who also posed online as a 13-year-old girl.

His messages to this 'girl' were sexual 'from the outset', prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said.

Ali sent her a picture of his penis and told her she was 'sexy'.

The messages lasted