A sexual predator who got “a thrill” from preying on underage girls with explicit chats on Facebook Messenger has been jailed.

Michael Hughes encouraged his three victims to perform sexual acts on themselves and send him images of them doing so.

The 62-year-old also sent the girls photos of his genitals.

But, unbeknownst to the pervert, he was actually communicating with online pedophile hunters who had created fake “decoy” profiles as part of an undercover operation.

After his arrest in June 2021, he candidly admitted to police that these conversations gave him a “sexual thrill.”

But he also claimed that he had simply given “sex education” to one of the victims and that he had asked another about the “d**k photos” because he wanted to warn her of the dangers of line.

Hughes admitted several offenses and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court for his sentencing hearing last Tuesday (October 29).

The attacker, who lived in the Medway area at the time, groomed the three “girls”, allegedly aged 11, 12 and 13, for three months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard their ages were made clear from the start of discussions with Hughes.

His explicit messages included instructions on how to masturbate, telling “girls” to “think about my cock” and “think about me touching you.”

Hughes told another she was “pretty and bright” before asking if she wanted to “talk sex”, saying “We can be boyfriend and girlfriend here”.

Bartholomew O’Toole, defending, told the court the offenses were “born of fantasy and disenchantment” after his 20-year relationship with his partner “became sour and distant”.

He also told the court that Hughes had “succumbed to temptation” after responding to messages that arrived in his inbox, adding that the victims were not “stalked by a predator”.

But the lawyer said although the sex offender had not received any indecent images or sent images of his own penis, he had not “sought to object” to his frank admissions made to police.

“He expressed his shame, embarrassment and remorse,” Mr O’Toole added. “His words to his lawyer were: ‘I very much regret this behavior. I’m ashamed of behaving this way.’

The court also heard that having been a boxing champion, Hughes used his construction skills to work hard throughout his life and provide for his family.

However, since his arrest, he has lived in a caravan “in a field or a garden”, explained the lawyer, and he no longer has contact with them.

But Mr O’Toole said the three-year delay into which the Hughes case ended was not his fault.

Heard in June 2021, his first appearance before the magistrates did not take place until April this year.

These are disgusting offenses…

He later pleaded guilty to a total of eight offenses relating to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting sexual communication with a child.

Jailing Hughes for three years, Judge Gareth Branston told him custody was inevitable.

“These are disgusting crimes. You were potentially preying on vulnerable young children,” he said.

Upon his release, Hughes will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years as well as sex offender notification requirements for an indefinite period.