53-year-old man from market town near Lancaster jailed for child sex offences

Brian Ainsworth, 53, also known as Brian Beagan, of Main Street, Low Bentham, was jailed at York Crown Court on July 26.

He pleaded guilty on May 17 to offences including:

*Attempt to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity

*Attempt to cause a child to look at images of sexual activity

*Attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child

*Breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

His offending was a blatant breach of the order that was issued to him following similar offences and a 22-month jail term in 2019.

Ainsworth contacted a “13-year-old girl” online.

Despite knowing the girl’s age, the chat quickly became sexualised to the point where he encouraged her to perform sexual acts, discussed pornography and sent her indecent images of himself.

The 13-year-old girl who he thought he was talking to was actually a woman.

Ainsworth’s offending was reported to police on the evening of May 15 2023, he was arrested in the early hours of May 16 and appeared in court on May 17 where he pleaded guilty.

After entering his plea at York Magistrates’ Court he was remanded into custody ahead of his sentencing on July 26 when he was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further order.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Kirsty Sullivan of North Yorkshire’s Police Online Child Abuse Team, said: “Despite believing and joking about the ‘girls’ age during his chat with her, his conversation quickly became sexualised.

"He believed he was talking to a child and blatantly breached his sexual harm prevention order.

"He has a dangerous sexual interest in children and the sentence handed out today reflects the seriousness of his offending.”