AN unemployed father, who denied being a paedophile, has been jailed after he sent sexually explicit messages and naked videos of himself to ‘underage girls’.

John Smale, aged 53, formerly of Radcliffe, used mobile phone chat apps to message persons who he believed to be five girls aged 13 and 14 ­— but who were really members of “paedophile hunter” groups.

During a period of just over two months, Smale engaged in conversations about sex wiith the girls, and asked them to perform sex acts on themselves.

He also sent them explicit pictures and videos of himself.

Yesterday, Smale was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to a string of child sex offences.

Manchester Minshull Street Court heard how between November 12, last year, and January 8, Smale began chatting with members of vigilante groups posing as girls named Daisy, aged 13; Hannah, aged 14; Holly, aged 13; Olivia, aged 14; and Kelsey, aged 14.

Robert Hall, prosecuting, said that the messages were sent from Smale’s mobile using the WhatLog app, before switching to Whatsapp.

During the conversations Smale changed from using a false name to giving his real one, and even gave the girls his address and postcode.

The paedophile hunters then went to his home and, after identifying him as the one who had sent the messages, called the police, who arrested him.

In police interview Smale initially claimed he was innocent and that his phone had been hacked, Mr Hall said.

However after his phone was seized and his home searched Smale told police that he was out of work due to ill health and was depressed, and “struggled to explain what he had done”.

He also told the probation service that he was not sexually interested in children. However, Judge Sophie McKone said his actions refuted this.

Smale was charged with 17 child sex offences and pleaded guilty to 16 of the charges earlier this year. The other will remain on file.

Daniel Gaskell, defending, said that “the future does not look particularly promising” for Smale, who was said to have lost his marriage, family, home, and relationships with his children and step-children as a result of his “totally abhorrent” actions.

“He brought this on himself and understands that his actions have consequences for himself and his family, and expresses his remorse,” Mr Gaskell said.

Addressing Smale, Judge McKone said: “It is cleat that you engaged in that behaviour with people who you believed and wanted to be children in your sexual interest."

In addition to Smale’s 18 month prison sentence, Judge McKone also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.