A MAN set up an Instagram account purporting to be a girl to incite boys to send images of their buttocks.

Christian Paul Redwood, aged 31, told police he had sought these images due to a “fetish”.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Redwood’s offending came to light when the mother of one of the boys he had messaged came across the correspondence while doing a routine check of her 11-year-old son’s phone.

She came across leading questions and terminology that did not appear to be from an 11 or 12-year-old girl.

The mother reported the matter to police and an IP address linked to the account presenting as a girl was traced to be Redwood’s Bournemouth home at the time.

Prosecuting, Stuart Ellacott said police attended the address and the defendant immediately made admissions that he was behind the social media profile and he had been talking to boys.

He was arrested and a search of the property was carried out, which led to several devices being seized.

Police found more than 100 still images and more than 100 videos of boys aged between 11 and 14.

Mr Ellacott said a boy in one of the images had been identified and spoken to by police. The victim said he believed he had sent the image to a girl of a similar age to himself.

In police interview, Redwood made full admissions about his conduct.

“He said he had done this for a number of years and he had engaged with a lot of children over that time,” Mr Ellacott said.

“He tried to stop his behaviour but couldn’t.

“He said that the images of what they were was due to a fetish he had about bottoms and being spanked.”

The court heard Redwood, of Dunley Road, Areley Kings, Stourport-on-Seven, had no previous convictions.

The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, two counts of making indecent images of children and one count of attempt to cause or incite a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.

Mitigating, Lucy Conroy said Redwood had been honest and candid from the outset with police.

Ms Conroy described the case as “unusual” because the defendant had not requested photographs of genitalia.

She said Redwood had a strong prospect of rehabilitation, adding that he had shown a motivation and desire to seek help already by putting himself through therapy and engaging with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Recorder Nicholas Haggan KC said he accepted the defendant had shown genuine remorse, he had taken steps off his own back to engage with support agencies and he had shown a commitment not to reoffend.

The judge added that Redwood understood the hurt and damage he had caused to the victims of his offending.

Recorder Haggan KC sentenced the defendant to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete an accredited course for sexual offenders.

Redwood was made subject to be on the sex offenders’ register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.