A PERVERT has been told he is facing a prison sentence for having sex chats with someone he believed to be a young girl.

Andrew Teale engaged in disgusting sexual communications with a profile which he thought was being operated by a 12-year-old girl.

This was not the case however, and the 43-year-old was subsequently charged with offences which were committed in Warrington in January.

Teale was convicted of charges of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence.

This came after he pleaded guilty to them at Warrington Magistrates’ Court last month, and he appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

But the hearing was adjourned until November for the preparation of further pre-sentencing material.

Before the facts of the case were opened by prosecutor Neil Bisarya, an application to adjourn the case was made by defence barrister Simon Duncan.

Despite this, court charge sheets state that Teale, being an adult and ‘for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification’, intentionally attempted to engage in sexual communications with a person he believed to be under 16 – chats that involved a discussion of sexual acts.

The adjournment request was to allow time for the preparation of a psychological report, and for this to be reviewed by the probation service.

Mr Duncan spoke of how Teale, now of Abbey Road in Tyldesley, had a responsible business job, but this was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that the offences were committed ‘at a low point’ which saw him spiral into offending.

The court heard that the report was sought as Teale has an ‘addictive personality’, having also battled a gambling addiction in the past, and that this will impact both his mitigation and his culpability.

Judge David Swinnerton said that by adjourning the case for the preparation for the report, he was making ‘no promises, guarantees or indications’ of his sentence.

He added that the offences would have a sentencing starting point of two years in prison, with a range of one to three years.

“I am not going to sentence you today,” he concluded.

“You must not read into that any indication of the sentence you may receive. The starting point is two years in prison.

“You should realise I am making you no promises, guarantees or indication, but the court should receive the full material before sentencing.”