Ryan Damant – Colchester

A pervert was snared by a paedophile hunting group after he spent months exchanging sexual messages with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, later inviting her to his house.

Dad-of-one Ryan Damant, 38, first messaged the Facebook account in September last year and sent a slew of explicit pictures, messages, and advice on how to perform sex acts.

He denied any involvement when he was confronted by the group, then denied the offences when he appeared before Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

But he eventually admitted all the charges against him and was given a suspended jail term by judge, who said he had to consider the effects a jail term would have on Damant’s son.

Prosecutor Mark Halsey told Ipswich Crown Court how Damant was told soon after he messaged the account that he was talking to a 14-year-old girl, but continued the conversations anyway.

In March this year, Damant offered to pick up the girl and suggested they “could try kissing first”.

Damant continued sending sexual messages and pictures and thought he was going to finally meet the girl when he was confronted by the child activist group.

He was arrested and charged with attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming, attempting to incite a girl between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child between 13 and 15 to watch an image of sexual activity.

Damant, of Barrack Street, Colchester denied all the charges before changing his pleas to guilty at Ipswich Crown Court.

Damant was sentenced to a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out six accredited programme sessions as well as ten rehabilitation requirement days.

He must comply with trail monitoring requirements for six months, was made a registered sex offender for ten years, and barred from having any interaction with any female child under 18.

Damant was not eligible for unpaid work due to several physical conditions.

Two charges of keeping indecent images of children were ordered to lie on the file.