Married grandfather James Wilson went to an online teen chat room looking for youngsters to communicate with.

Using a fake profile claiming he was aged 22 and called Billy, the 53-year-old began chatting to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

A court heard the conversation quickly became sexual and Wilson sent webcam footage of himself committing a sex act and requested indecent images of the youngster.

Wilson, of Bavington Drive, Fenham , Newcastle, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child and was jailed for 16 months, ordered to sign the sex offenders register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard he has resigned from his job and is struggling to pay his mortgage.

Vic Laffey, defending, said: “He accepts he has acted foolishly and has placed himself in a position where he is on the cusp of losing everything.

“He is