A Lewisham man caught asking a 12-year-old girl for sexual images was “lonely because of lockdown”, a court heard. 

Nicholas Langridge, of Daneswood Avenue, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday (April 26) after pleading guilty to causing or inciting a child to commit a sexual act and sexual communication with a child. 

The court was told that on September 1, 2021, the 33-year-old sent contacted a young girl on a messaging platform. 

Judge David Miller told Langridge: “It’s very clear that you steered it into a highly sexual conversation very quickly, and in the process you found out that she was 12. You were happy to continue, claiming you were 19 yourself.” 

He asked the young girl to commit a sex act on herself and send him photos, but he stopped replying when the girl didn’t send any. 

Seven weeks later he messaged the girl again and added her on Snapchat with the intention of exchanging photos, the court heard. 

However, the person he was messaging turned out not to be a 12-year-old girl, but an undercover police officer trying to catch online sex offenders. 

Langridge was subsequently arrested on March 30, 2022, before pleading guilty in court. 

At his sentencing hearing the court was told that Langridge had lost valuable employment because of this conviction. 

His actions were in part due to his experience of loneliness during lockdown, his defense counsel said. 

The court was told that Langridge has engaged with courses intended to prevent future offending. 

Judge Miller sentenced him to two years imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He will also be made to do 100 hours of unpaid work and will be made to sign the Sex Offenders Registers.