A middle aged man who sent lewd photographs to a girl (13) and asked her for sex has been jailed for 18 months.

Terence Weldredge (43) of Castlekevin Road, Coolock admitted carrying out the harassment, sexual exploitation and sending of menacing messages to the girl in 2011 and 2012.

The court heard the girl got a text from Weldredge in September 2011. He said he had found her number written on a bus and that he was 15-years-old. The two began texting.

Knowing she was 13 years-of-age, he began to ask her for sex and to send her lewd pictures.

He also sent her a picture of a teddy bear and said "I love you" before asking her to "have his baby".

When he sent her a picture of his face the following January, the girl could see that he was not a teenager she called him a liar and told him to stop texting her.

Over the following two days he attempted to contact her 272 times - and only stopped when she went to gardaí and they took her phone.

He has been jailed for 18 months.