ONE of two north Cumbria perverts snared by vigilantes has been jailed - but the second must wait to learn his fate.

Carlisle man Justin Brian Bell and Michael Edward Roiston Chapman were brought to court last month after sickening separate bids to exploit young girls were exposed by so-called “paedophile-hunters”.

Bell, 49, of Bannisdale Way, made repeated attempts to get girls as young as 13 to take part in sordid internet sex activity. He admitted four offences.

Meanwhile 24-year-old convicted sex offender Michael Chapman admitted two fresh offences.

Both men were due to be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday and while Chapman was jailed for 18 months Bell's case has been adjourned until June 6.

Judge James Adkin said that while that while no harm was caused to any child, Chapman's culpability was high.

The court heard how, in 2017, he was punished for engaging in “X-rated” internet chat with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. It was actually an undercover police officer.

Chapman was handed a lengthy community order, told to sign the sex offenders’ register and made subject to the strict terms of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

But last month he made online contact with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, whom he engaged in graphic sexualised chat.

He was actually chatting with a vigilante group volunteer who flagged up concerns.

“The next course of action was then to attend the home address of Mr Chapman,” said prosecutor Gerard Rogerson.

“They confronted him with the evidence of these conversations and live-streamed them, they say, for their own protection.”

Chapman admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and breaching the previously-imposed SHPO which prevented online child contact.

David Wales, defending, spoke of Chapman’s troubled background. Of the group live-streaming at his former Troutbeck home near Penrith, Mr Wales said: “They claim it is for their own protection, whereas in fact what they are doing is providing titillating content on their own website to draw attention to it.”

The judge asked the probation service to prepare a background report in Bell's case and for aspects of the prosecution case to be clarified.

In the meantime he was remanded in custody.