A Suffolk teenager who was caught messaging a decoy child in an undercover police sting has been given a suspended sentence.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Monday (June 27) was 19-year-old Ryan Bradley of Raedwold Drive, Bury St Edmunds.

He admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and a total of six further offences relating to making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was given a five month period of detention in a young offenders’ institution suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work and was given a 40 day rehabilitation activity requirement and a programme requirement to address his offending behaviour.

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

Sentencing him Recorder Jeremy Benson warned him that if he reoffended he was likely to receive a custodial sentence.

Juliet Donovan for Bradley said her client had no previous convictions.