A 57-YEAR-OLD man posing as a 16-year-old asked a teenage girl to perform sexual acts while he watched on a webcam.

Eric Southall signed up to two internet chat sites, posted a picture of a teenage boy with blond spikey hair and blue eyes and called himself Johnny.

Derby Crown Court heard that Southall had "built up the trust" of the 14-year-old girl, from Derby, and then started asking her to perform sexual acts on herself. They also spoke on the phone and had arranged to spend the night together at a Derby hotel.

Jailing Southall for three years and four months, Judge John Burgess said that Southall had groomed the girl and had suggested a lot more than had actually taken place.

"She was sexually inexperienced and you corrupted her," said Judge Burgess.

Keith Raynor, prosecuting, told the court that the girl's mother had confronted her during Christmas 2008 when she became concerned about who her daughter was chatting to on the internet.

Mr Raynor said the girl told her mum that she had been exposing herself to "Johnny".

"She said Johnny had asked her to do these things but she had wanted to do it because she loved him," said Mr Raynor.

Southall was arrested on August 14 last year, having been traced by police through his mobile phone number.

He told police he had made a number of friends on the internet but denied having talked to girls.

Blondelle Thompson, in mitigation, said Southall had been married with children but after these offences came to light his marriage had ended and most of his family had turned against him.

She said the offences had arisen out of Southall's ill health. He had suffered three heart attacks in the past 20 years and as a result was housebound.

Miss Thompson said: "His only chance of contact with the outside world is the internet."

She said this had resulted in him speaking to the 14-year-old.

"He regrets these offences and is in fear of going to custody," said Miss Thompson.

Southall, of Smith's Place, Tipton, Dudley, admitted five offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Burgess said the offence had been repeated and Southall had groomed the girl. He said: "She would not have been remotely interested in you if the truth had been told. Your age difference is 43 years.

"Anybody who uses the internet in this way must understand they are going to receive a significant and lengthy sentence. I do think you represent a continuing risk."

When Southall is released from prison he will have to abide by a sexual offenders' prevention order, which includes him not being allowed to seek the company of vulnerable adults or anyone under the age of 16.

He is banned from working with children and will have to sign the sexual offenders' register for the rest of his life.