A 54-year-old Ipswich man has admitted sending sexual messages to a social media account set up by an online paedophile hunting group.

Before Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Monday was Mark Gray, of Vernon Street, who pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

The court heard Gray spoke to the decoy over a seven-month period and sent her images of his genitals.

The activist group, Net Justice, created the account of a girl they named Poppy, aged 15-years-old, and spoke to Gray through the decoy over Facebook.

Those behind the account then turned up at the defendant’s address on December 14, 2021 and confronted him before calling the police.

A sentencing hearing was set for the week beginning of December 16 at Ipswich Crown Court, a pre-sentence report was requested, and the defendant was granted unconditional bail.