A vulnerable Suffolk man who had a conversation about sex with an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-girl has been given a community order.

During chats with the decoy schoolgirl, Christopher Elliot asked her if she wanted some “naughty fun” and enquired if she ever had her house to herself, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Elliot had also had a conversation about sex with another police decoy posing as a schoolgirl, said Edward Renvoize, prosecuting.

Elliot, of Lorne Road, Lowestoft, admitted two offences of engaging in sexual communication with a child between February 2021 and March 2022, and six offences of making indecent images of children.

He was given a three-year community order and a 45-day rehabilitation activity order and ordered to attend a sex offenders treatment programme and to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

Sentencing him, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said although he was 33 he was mentally and emotionally much younger and had Asperger syndrome and mental health issues.

“There are a lot of people posing as children to get you into the kind of trouble you found yourself in. It’s an easy trap for someone like you to fall into,” said the judge.

The court heard that Elliot was found in possession of 142 indecent images and 91 videos in the most serious level A category.

He also had 49 indecent images and 64 videos in category B and 2,078 images and 172 videos in the least serious level C category.

Steven Dyble, for Elliot, said his client had lost his job as a result of the offences and he was determined to stop his fascination with indecent images and videos of children.