A 68-year-old man got a suspended prison sentence for trying to chat sexually with a fake underage account.

Andrew Wilkin, a 68-year-old Colchester man, was sentenced for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child after sending explicit messages to a decoy account he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He admitted to complimenting her age, expressing sexual fantasies, and exchanging photos, including one of himself after receiving a selfie in a school uniform. The court heard he was socially isolated and used Facebook chat rooms, claiming he “got carried away.” Despite no real child being involved, magistrates stressed the seriousness of the offense. Wilkin received a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, along with 25 days of rehabilitation activity, 80 hours of unpaid work, and a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.