A WOMAN with a ‘disturbing interest in rape’ who told a 'girl' she wanted to 'teach her things’ has narrowly avoided being jailed.

Sammi Walkden, of Lord Roberts Street on Walney, believed she was communicating with a 13-year-old girl online, who was instead an undercover officer, Preston Crown Court heard.

The 22-year-old used the KIK and Snapchat mobile phone applications to contact the child decoy between September 10 2021 and November 22 2021, prosecutor Verity Quaite said.

Ms Quaite told the court the defendant told the child she was 19 years old and from Barrow.

“The undercover officer reminded the defendant that she was 13,” Ms Quaite said.

"The defendant went on to ask if she wanted to cuddle.”

The court heard the defendant told the decoy that if they ever met up she would ‘teach her things’ and that she wanted to see the girl in her ‘nighty’.

Walkden later asked the child to be her girlfriend and requested to meet up with her, the prosecution said.

Over the forthcoming days the conversation turned more sexual with the defendant suggesting she would sit on the child’s lap and play with her genitals, the court was told.

Ms Quaite said the conversation culminated with Walkden asking the child if it was a set up.

She said the undercover officer said it was real and the defendant replied: ‘I love you’.

Officers arrested Walkden at her home address on December 9.

Police seized a mobile phone which was found to contain one category A indecent image of a child, one category B image and four category C images. There were also 29 prohibited images of children.

The court heard Walkden had used search terms ‘young girls’, ‘rape’ and ‘torture’ to find the indecent images.       

She admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and possessing indecent images of children.

In mitigation, Sarah Magill said her client had been ‘grappling with the turmoil of the offence itself’.

Ms Magill said: “She has had a very difficult childhood with trauma and went through a particularly difficult period in her late teens.

“She has shown victim awareness, remorse and insight into her offending. There is plenty for probation to work with.

“She has committed no further offences since or prior and is showing she has a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

His Honour Judge Michael Maher was persuaded to suspend an immediate custodial sentence for 10 months for a period of a year due to believing the defendant had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Before imposing the sentence, Judge Maher told Walkden: “When you download indecent images, you are providing oxygen to that filthy trade. They are real children who are being subjected to rape.

“You have a disturbing interest in rape which the search terms you have used show.

“Do not bite the hand of those that feed you. You need help to channel you away from this sort of filth."

As part of the suspended sentence order, Walkden was required to complete 20 rehabilitation requirement days.

She was also sentenced to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.