A PERVERTED internet ‘fantasist’' who talked dirty to what he thought were schoolgirls and tried to meet one for sex was caught because the ‘11-year-olds’ were actually und- ercover police.

Burnley Crown Court was told Michael Butler, 30, exposed himself on a webcam and said he wanted to see the ‘girl’ in Blackpool.

All the while, he was in a relationship with a 23-year-old woman he had also met over the webcam, who knew he was chatting to young girls on the net and was not bothered.

Butler told the ‘victim’ he was grooming her, knew it was against the law and he could go to jail. He described his filthy behaviour as ‘sickening’ to police when he was arrested after targeting two profiles he did not know were fictitious.

Butler, of Leyland Road, Burnley, was locked up for 16 months, after admitting two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, one of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one charge of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and one of attempting to arrange or facilitate a meeting with a child with the intention of engaging in sexual activity.

He was ordered to sign the sexual offenders register for 10 years and was given a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, banning him from having contact or seeking to contact any child under 16 and which also allows police to monitor his internet use.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said the defendant started to chat to a ‘girl’ on the website, supposed to be for people aged 12 to 19. He told her he was 30, asked her how sexy he was, how she felt and if she was alone.

He switched to the second ‘11-year-old’s’ profile four days later. He exposed himself on a webcam and told her he was performing an indecent act.

The prosecutor said when police raided Butler’s house his partner told officers she was aware he was chatting to young girls.

Richard Taylor, defending, described Butler as ‘simple, somewhat pathetic and introverted’ and added: “He lives in something of a fantasy world, created by the internet.”