A ex-service man sent sexual messages to who he thought were two 13-year-old girls – only to find out the message had gone to an undercover police officer.

Daniel Lomax sent the messages to between June and August last year.

But Bolton Crown Court heard the accounts were set up as a police decoy.

Lomax, who served in the Royal Logistics Core, first approached one of the profiles on Kik in June 2021.

It stated she was 13 and when they spoke she frequently referenced being at school.

He repeatedly asked for pictures of her and later urged her to perform a sexual activity on herself.

Later he made contact with another  account where the age was given as 13.

He also asked for photos said at one point he was performing a sexual activity on himself.

Duncan Wilcock, prosecuting, said after August 21 “there was no further contact between the defendant' and the profiles.

He said: “Officers attended at his home in Atherton on August 24 and the defendant was arrested.

Lomax, from Warwick Road, Atherton, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to incite a child into sexual activity.

Michael Goldwater, defending, said Lomax had struggled to obtain a job since leaving the military and his marriage was under pressure at the time of the offending behaviour.

He added: “The worst effect of him going to custody is that he would lose his job, his family would find it difficult to sustain payments on a rented home.

“The worst consequence of him going to custody will be felt not by him but by his wife and children.”

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh said: “The issue of public protection is best served by having the probation service work with you to address the offending behaviour.”

He suspended a sentence of two years for two years and ordered Atherton, 32, to complete a sex offender programme and attend at 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He also made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for a period of ten years.