A former police officer caught by paedophile hunters trying to encourage a 14-year-old girl to watch pornography already had convictions for child sex offences, it has emerged.

Christoper Sheldrick, 56, was confronted at his home by the group, the Ghosts Online Child Protection Team, after communicating sexually with a person he thought was a teenager.

Norwich Crown Court heard he had sent sexually suggestive messages to the individual, who was actually a decoy, and sent her a link to watch pornography.

Samantha Lowther, prosecuting, said Sheldrick swapped images and requested the individual "show me a body shot".

She said the decoy told Sheldrick she was 14 but he "made no acknowledgment of her age".

The court heard Sheldrick has convictions for child sex offences in 2023 and had been prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with girls under 16.

Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Sheldrick, from Suffield Road, Gorleston, was arrested on September 29 this year after being approached by the Ghosts team.

When confronted by the paedophile hunter group, Sheldrick admitted to them that he is a former police officer who has been out of the force for some years.

Norfolk police have confirmed that Sheldrick had been a police officer but had not served with them.

Sheldrick appeared in court on Monday after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between September 24 and September 30 this year.

He also admitted attempting to breach a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offender register.

Judge David Pugh jailed Sheldrick for 12 months.

Jonny Pilkington, mitigating, said Sheldrick was "so sickened" by what he has done that he's "attempted to take his own life".

Sheldrick remains on the sex offenders register for 10 years and is the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) also for 10 years.