A MAN in his 40s who believed he was communicating online with a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to eight months in prison.
William Alastair Hall was sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court on Tuesday for attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
The 48-year-old from the Lisburn area will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for five years.
"Hall believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl, however, he had actually been communicating with an undercover police officer," said Detective Inspector Vasey of the PSNI.
"I want to send a strong message today that my team are working around the clock to identify and bring people before the courts who think their online offending can go undetected.
"It is our absolute priority to protect and keep children safe in our communities and we will continue to proactively target those who contribute to the cycle of child abuse.
"I would encourage anyone with concerns or information to get in contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency."
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