A MAN with "severe mental disabilities" has been spared jail after making sexual conversation with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

David Nathanael Keen, of Rhostyllen, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Monday morning for sentence.

The 38-year-old had previously admitted attempting to incite a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration.

Laura Knightly, prosecuting, told the court Keen was 36 when the offence was committed.

He made contact with an account on a social media site belonging to someone he understood was a 13 year old girl.

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Despite being told numerous times of the girl's age, he asked "ok, so does that matter?" and repeatedly sent her sexualised messages.

He even suggested they meet, telling her of the acts he wished to commit with her - but unbeknown to him, he wasn't talking to a child.

The person on the receiving end of his inappropriate messages was a member of a vigilante group.

Following the conversation, a live stream "sting" was carried out and Keen was reported to the police.

Asked if the reason behind his contact was for sexual activity with the fictional 13-year-old, he answered: "possibly."

After confirming Judge Niclas Parry had read the contents of a pre-sentence report and a psychiatric report about his client, defending counsel Henry Hills said he had nothing further to tell the court.

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Judge Parry said: "This is a very worrying case involving a 38-year-old man with no previous convictions who has an undisputed diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, and a borderline IQ which impacts on perceptual reasoning.

"The defendant no doubt believed he was conversing with a 13-year-old girl -mercifully in this case there was no child."

The Judge said Keen's early guilty plea and "severe mental disabilities" would be taken into account when passing sentence.

He handed down a two year custodial term, but suspended it for two years.

Keen must undertake 50 sessions on an accredited programme and 45 days of rehabilitation activity.

He must also do 120 hours of unpaid work and has been made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

"Please take the help you're now being offered," the Judge told him.

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