A Suffolk man who sent pictures of himself wearing women's underwear to a decoy posing as a 13-year-old schoolgirl has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Tony Last, 54, was caught messaging the girl known as ‘Erin’ and talked about “making love” to her, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He also told her that when she was 16 they could get engaged and married.

Jamie Sawyer, prosecuting, said Last had repeatedly talked about dressing as a woman and had sent ‘Erin’ pictures of him wearing women’s underwear.

Last, of Manderston Road, Newmarket, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child last year and was given a nine month jail sentence suspended for two years.

He was also given a 35 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to attend a programme for internet sex offenders.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Benedict Peers for Last, described his client as vulnerable and said he accepted what he’d done was “wholly inappropriate”.