A FORMER Barrow shipyard worker who engaged in sex acts with a 14-year-old girl after “pestering” her with messages and requests for naked photos has been locked up.

Christian Brand, 19, was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institution at Barrow Crown Court yesterday after admitting two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Brand, of Stainton Drive, Dalton, admitted the offences which occurred on October 2013 after a previous charge of rape was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in May this year.

The court heard that Brand, who was 18 at the time, met the girl on Facebook and exchanged messages with her

At Brand’s request, she sent him naked photos of herself via the Snapchat smartphone app.

At 9pm on October 1, the girl contacted Brand and asked him to meet her at a friends house in Barrow and walk her home.

On the way to her house, the pair engaged in consensual sexual activity.

The girl later reported that she had been raped and Brand was arrested on October 3.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Robert Wyn Jones said a doctor had later diagnosed the girl with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Mr Roger Baldwin, defending, urged Judge Jacqueline Beech to consider the impact the false rape allegation had had on the defendant.

Mr Baldwin told the court that Brand’s fragile mental state had lead to him stealing from lockers at work and losing his apprenticeship with BAE.

He said: “What happened between my client and the complainant was consensual there was no threat or force.

“This young man lived under that black cloud for 18 months.”

Mr Baldwin asked the judge to consider a community order instead of a custodial sentence.

He said: “He needs re-educating in all matters sexual, he needs to learn that if an opportunity presents itself you don’t have to take it.”

Summing up, Judge Beech said there had been “a significant degree of planning” to the act and that a series of messages sent by Brand to the girl had been “pestering”.

She said: “She was a 14-year-old girl who was obviously vulnerable.

“It is clear that you put your own sexual needs first, above the age of the victim. “Sexual activity with a child is a serious offence. You were the adult, the reason for this offence being on the statute book is to stop people taking advantage of vulnerable young people like this victim.”

Brand’s name will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.