A man who thought he was asking a 12-year-old girl to carry out a sexual act on herself with a pencil was in fact being stung by an undercover police officer.

It led to Andrew Tonkin appearing before Truro Crown Court today (Friday) for sentencing, after he previously pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court was told that between January 16 and February 14 this year Tonkin was in a regular conversation online with what he believed was a 12-year-old he had friend requested. In reality he was speaking to an undercover police officer from Yorkshire and the Humber, as part of a sting operation in he which he was caught. 

Over the four weeks the conversation was said to be “increasingly sexualised” by Tonkin, who told the ‘girl’ he was a 26-year-old who lived in Cornwall. In fact he was 38 at the time, now aged 39.

He sent the ‘girl’ a selfie picture of a white man with thinning brown hair and asked for photographs of her in return, along with checking no one else could see their conversation.

He told her they could have a “secret relationship” and that he wanted to cuddle and kiss her.

Ten days after they started talking, Tonkin sent a photograph of his erect penis “and expressed a desire to have sex with her, marry her and have a baby with her when she reached the age of 16,” said the prosecutor.

Tonkin also told the ‘girl’ he was prepared to travel to meet her for sex but would need to save money first.

He sent further photographs of himself over the subsequent weeks and suggested they meet at a Travel Lodge or Premier Inn. “He told her his sexual experience would be good for her,” added the prosecutor.

Andrew Tonkin was jailed for two and a half years (Image: Devon and Cornwall Police) On February 12 he encouraged her to carry out a sexual act on herself, giving instructions to use a pencil or her finger.

Two days later he wished her a happy Valentine’s Day but made no further attempt to meet up and the officer ended the contact.

When police in Cornwall visited him at home in Illogan they seized his mobile phone.

He told them at first he didn’t know the ‘girl’ was 12 – until it was pointed out he was informed this on January 16. He then admitted he should have ended the chat at that point, but he “didn’t know where his mind took him.”

He said it was “nothing sexual,” and described his comments about travelling to see her as “all fantasy,” adding he would “never have gone there because he might have ended up killed.”

No indecent images of children were found on his phone.

The court was told that he received a caution in 2010 for causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Tonkin was said to be remorseful about what had happened.

Judge Simon Carr noted Tonkin’s “terrible childhood” but said that due to the previous caution, and the seriousness of the offences against what Tonkin believed to be a 12-year-old child, only a prison sentence was sufficient.

He sentenced Tonkin to two and a half years in prison and ordered that the defendant be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

A sexual harm prevention order was also made over Tonkin’s internet usage, meaning police can monitor his content for the next ten years.