A FROME estate agent who threatened to post naked photos of a 17-year-old girl online has been placed on the national Sex Offenders Register for the next five years.

Aaron Butler, 34, struck up an online friendship with the teenaged girl which became increasingly sexualised over time.

After arranging to meet up face-to-face, he sent her money to cover her travel costs but became angry when she never showed up.

When she refused to hand the money back he issued her with an ultimatum that he would post the sexually explicit images of her online unless his cash was returned.

Butler, of Whitewell Place, pleaded guilty to threatening to share intimate photos and videos of the girl intending her to fear that the threat would be carried out at Frome on May 23 last year.

Somerset Magistrates, sitting at Yeovil, were told that police were informed that a 17-year-old girl had been receiving sexualised messages from the defendant and she had sent him some explicit images of herself.

Prosecutor Ben Winzar said that the conversation between them was through social media and rapidly became sexually explicit at the behest of the defendant.

“She sent images of herself, and he requested more images and videos which she did,” he said.

“They agreed to meet, and he gave her £10 via bank transfer to visit him but when she did not attend he made threats to share the content he was in possession of.

“Those threats were repeated during the course of the conversation even though it had been made clear to the defendant that the girl had been in care and had previously been the victim of a serious sexual offence.”

He said the complainant was distressed by the threats and asked for the court to make a restraining order to prevent him from contacting her.

Defending solicitor Louise Eaves said that both Butler and the complainant had been exchanging intimate pictures and although he knew she was in her late teens he was not entirely sure but did not think for one minute she was 17.

She said that after they agreed to meet, she asked him for money and he transferred the cash to her, but when the time came close he had not heard from her and told her he assumed she would not be turning up.

Butler then messaged her saying: “I’m not the kind of person you do this to and if I’ve not received my money back then I will post these images.”

“He told the complainant he would post the images by 9pm that night if he had not had his money back,” said Miss Eaves.

“She told him she had missed the bus to come and meet him and told him he could not post messages of kids, adding ‘I’m 17, police class me as a kid and said it was classed as paedophilia.”

The next morning she asked Butler if he had posted the messages and he assured her he had not.

Miss Eaves said that Butler acknowledged what he did was wrong, and he should not have said what he said, adding that it was done out of frustration.

“He cannot be more sorry for what has happened, and the effect of this prosecution is enormous for a man in his position,” she said.

“Being on the sex offender’s register and being an estate agent, the effect is unmeasurable, all for a very stupid, knee-jerk reaction after being stood up and thinking he had been duped.”

“As a result he will now suffer in terms of his reputation and livelihood.”

The magistrates sentenced Butler to a 12-month community order with 150 hours unpaid work and 15 Rehabilitation Activity Days. They also issued a 12-month restraining order during which he must not contact the victim directly or indirectly.

They also ordered him to sign onto the national Sex Offenders Register for the next five years and imposed costs of £85 and a £114 victim surcharge.