A WANNABE rock star who groomed a 14-year-old on Facebook and tried to meet her for sex has been spared jail.

Matthew Thraves, of Chestnut Close, Hockley, admitted communicating with the girl between November 2015 and January last year.

The 23-year-old also admitted downloading nearly 200 indecent images of children. Basildon Crown Court heard he had an “unhealthy interest in underage schoolgirls.”

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said Thraves met his victim on a bus and started messaging her online, as well as by text message.

He sent her increasingly sexually explicit messages and asked her to send him photos in her underwear - which she did.

She told police: “I was a bit cautious but I took it as a compliment at the time.”

Mr Gair said there was no doubt Thraves - who regularly scoured the “dark web” for “schoolgirl porn” - knew how old she was and repeatedly told her he wanted to have sex.

He said: “We say it was a clear case of grooming of a 14-year-old girl. At first she said she was uncomfortable but she got used to these type of exchanges.

“He would appear to have an unhealthy interest in underage schoolgirls.”

The grooming only came to light when the girl said she “ran out of excuses” not to meet the heavy metal fan and singer, and asked her friends what to do.

When she told him police were aware of the messages, he replied: “Get rid of everything.”

Matthew Bone, mitigating, said Thraves “still dreams of a musical success with his punk metal band” and is “extremely remorseful.”

He said: “He accepts that he was the adult. His victim was a child and she was nothing but a victim. He asks me to make that very clear.

“He’s an adult and he should never have gone down that road.”

Judge Ian Pugh said Thraves groomed the girl but could be spared jail because the planned meeting did not take place.

Thraves was handed a two year prison sentence for the communication and four months for the images, to run concurrently, suspended for 24 months.

He must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and sign the sex offender’s register for ten years.