A 59-year-old grandfather “exposed and degraded” a vulnerable 14-year-old Keighley boy he contacted on a sex chat line, a Court heard.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ran up a bill for £700 on the premium telephone line used by adults to set up sexual encounters.

One of the people he exchanged sexually explicit texts with was Nottinghamshire man Dennis Newton, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Yesterday, Newton pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch a sex act on April 1 last year.

Prosecutor Richard Wright said the boy sent Newton a photograph of his face that plainly showed he was just a child.

The teenager told him he was 14 but they still exchanged sexually explicit images.

The boy sent Newton indecent images of himself and the defendant sent him a video clip of a male performing a sex act.

Mr Wright said contact between the two fizzled out after Newton suggested they meet.

The boy stopped replying to his messages but Newton continued to send him texts, asking him to get back in touch.

Newton, of Market Close, Shirebrook, was arrested after the teenager’s father borrowed his son’s telephone.

The court heard Newton joined the chat line after his marriage broke down.

He was ashamed, remorseful and fully accepted his wrongdoing.

Judge Jonathan Rose sentenced Newton to a three year community order, with supervision, including a programme to address his sexual offending.

He said Newton had “exposed and degraded” a troubled and vulnerable child.

Judge Jonathan Rose told him: “You are now ready to face the demons that have driven you into a Crown Court dock for the first time in your life.”

Newton was made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to protect children and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years.