AN Ellesmere Port man who tried to engage a child in sexual activity also had indecent images of children.

Michael Taylor, 25, of Victoria Road, pleaded guilty at his plea and trial preparation hearing at Chester Crown Court to all charges on Friday, October 22.

He was sentenced to a total of 13 months in prison.

The court heard Taylor had tried to engage in a sex act with a 14-year-old boy.

He was also found to have had 180 indecent photographs of children in his possession upon his arrest on January 16, 2021.

Of the 180 photos, 55 were assessed as 'category A' – the most serious category, with 54 category B images and 71 category C images.

Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett sentenced Taylor to eight months in prison for attempting to engage a child in sexual activity, plus five months in prison for possession of the indecent images.

Taylor was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), preventing him from purposefully having any contact with anyone he knows or believes to be under the age of 18, directly or indirectly in any way, other than with the supervision of an adult approved in advance by social services, who has knowledge of the convictions.

The SHPO also prevents Taylor from using any device capable of accessing the internet without pre-approved safeguards, and he must make that device available for police inspection, and is not permitted to disguise or delete his internet history.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

He must also pay a £156 surcharge.