A YOUNG archaeology student posed as a famous modelling scout to snare young women in a ‘degrading’ con.

Neil Summerson, 27, pretended to be Lynn Campbell-Walter, director of BMA Models, when he messaged his four victims on dating website Plenty of Fish.

After reassuring the women, who were aged between 16 and 22, that the internet connection was secure, he encouraged them to Skype him and take their clothes off.

The defendant then told them that he had saved videos and photographs of them that would be sent to all of their Facebook friends if they told anyone.

Carolyn Branford-Wood, prosecuting, said his last victim had become physically sick with fear after his scam.

“He asked them to pose, and asked them to remove clothing and underwear to ensure there was no ‘manipulation of the body’,” she said.

The student of archaeology and and ancient history at the University of Leicester encouraged one of the women, who was just 17, to meet him for sex.

In a statement read to the court, she said she felt ‘shocked, scared, angry and disgusted’.

Summerson, of Orchard Plaza, High Street, Poole, pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and two of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without their consent.

In 2009, he was cautioned for exposing himself via webcam to a 15-year-old and a 20-year-old, as well as contacting two women aged 20 and 22 online while pretending to be a modelling scout and asking them to take their clothes off.

Judge Samuel Wiggs said he had ‘reluctantly’ decided not to send Summerson, pictured above, to prison.

However, he added: “What you did to these young girls – and they are young girls – was degrading in the extreme.

“You tricked them in their own homes into thinking you were somebody else. You threatened them with the exposure of the images you had supposedly taken. You were deceitful.”

He sentenced Summerson to a three-year community order and an electronically-tagged three-month curfew.

The defendant will remain on the sexual offenders register for five years, and he has been made the subject of Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years.

• Warning to hopefuls...

Lynn Campbell-Walter, whose identity was used by Summerson to trap his victims, said: “I’d like to take the opportunity to send the message to young women that this is not how professional agencies do business.

“Beware anyone who gets in touch like this. Any real agent will ask you to come and meet them properly.”

She added: “For a lot of young women, it’s a dream to be scouted. But I’d ask everyone to take care when contacted over social media in this way.”