A man attempted to ‘blackmail’ a schoolgirl into sending nude photos of herself.

William Andrew Holden, 19, befriended the teenager on social media before pressuring the girl, who is under the age of consent, to send naked photos of herself, a court heard.

When she resisted he threatened to share a picture of her in a bra, the hearing was told.

Terrified, the girl raised the alarm and Holden was arrested.

Holden of Ridge Hill, Sutton, admitted inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity at Warrington Crown Court.

His victim’s father told the judge that the experience had left her stressed, unable to sleep and concentrate at school and ‘suspicious of everyone’.

Holden was sentenced to a three year community order with 250 hours unpaid work and must take the Northumbria Sex Offenders Group Programme.

Sentencing Judge Nicholas Woodward said: “You attempted to obtain through pressure indecent images of a young girl. You knew trying to use a despicable form of emotional blackmail was clearly wrong.

“Fortunately the victim showed maturity and wisdom and didn’t succumb to your pressure. She has been damaged but she showed courage and coming to court will help her recover from what you did to her.”

Mike Stephenson, prosecuting, told the court Holden made contact with the victim on social media.

He said: “After a few days the messages started taking a sexual tone. They were relatively innocuous at the start such as ‘you look good in your uniform’, but he started sending more explicit messages offering to ‘pick you up in my car and take you to a hotel’ and saying he ‘wanted intercourse with her’. He began to put pressure on her to send nude pictures. Eventually she sent one of her in jeans and a bra.

“He began to send her demand for more explicit images. One said: “I am going for dinner and I want more (images) as soon as I get back”. He made a threat that the message she had supplied may be circulated around her school if she wasn’t compliant. She had the good sense at that point to raise it [and it was reported].”

Richard Lees, defending, said: “He is ashamed, embarrassed and remorseful.”

Holden was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for five years.