A Sidcup man has walked free from court after being caught sending sexual messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl.

Andrew Manning, 50, of Parish Gate Drive, admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between February 3 and February 22. Court documents state that Manning sent explicit messages describing sex acts he wished to perform on the ‘girl. However, he later discovered that the 14-year-old girl was a decoy account operated by a group of paedophile hunters.

The paedophile hunters confronted Manning on February 22, live-streaming the encounter and subsequently reporting him to the police. Following this confrontation, Manning pleaded guilty to the charge on March 15 and appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Wednesday, June 5.

Despite the seriousness of the offence, Manning was given a two-year community order, which includes a 35-day rehabilitation programme designed to address his behaviour. Additionally, he has been mandated to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

The case has sparked discussions about the effectiveness and appropriateness of community orders for individuals caught attempting to engage in sexual communication with minors, even if the minor is a decoy.