A FORMER Southend Hospital employee tried to tempt someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl into sending him naked pictures.

Steven Casse sent explicit pictures of himself to the profile on social media and demanded sexual images from her before being caught by a group of paedophile hunters.

The 48-year-old of Windermere Road, Southend claimed the messages were a “one off”.

He was confronted by the groups of hunters, who had been behing the fake online profile, outside Southend Hospital in January this year and arrested.

As Casse was taken into the police vehicle, he said: “It was a one off for me. I have never done it before, I did something stupid, I shouldn’t have done it.”

At Basildon Crown Court, Casse admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and possession of two indecent images, which were found on his tablet after police seized it upon his arrest.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, told the court that Casse had messaged the profile on January 18 this year and within 35 minutes had turned the chat sexual.

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He told the profile, named “Megan”, that he was naked and would send her photos, telling her he lived alone, and asked her “if she would like to take off her top”.

Casse also wrote: “You don’t have to be a grown-up to play in bed” and that “she can try it herself”.

Lucy Sweetland, mitigating, said that Casse had lost his job at the hospital as a result of his crimes, and now worked in a warehouse.

She added: “He is indeed ashamed of what he has done. He’s lost his employment and his good character. He’s punished himself quite a bit.”

Judge Shane Collery said that Casse’s actions were “frankly disgraceful”, and Casse replied “I agree” in the dock.

Judge Collery added: “You accepted responsibility for this and don’t see it as sexually motivated. Plainly that is not right.”

Casse received six months in prison suspended for 22 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work and 40 days of rehabilitation, plus £340 in costs.