A FORMER policeman, who found retirement “boring”, turned to disgusting on line chats about child sex abuse.

Mark Smith thought he was communicating on Kik Messenger with the dad of a nine- year-old daughter but he was in fact chatting to an under-cover decoy police officer.

Smith discussed with him about what he would like to do to the little girl sexually and suggested the dad also abuse her. He asked him to send him pictures of his daughter and when the decoy said he lived in London, Smith said the travel would be “worth it.”

52-year-old Smith sent him a video of a young girl being raped and another video and ten images in the lowest category of abuse, said Olivia Beesley, prosecuting.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Tue) that he told him he was chatting on line with a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl - but unknown to him they too were decoy profiles

He made inappropriate sexual remarks to them and Smith, a keen runner, sent them each a photograph of himself in a tight skin Under Armour long sleeve top and running shorts but without showing his face.

He asked for a naked photo of the 13-year-old and described his sexual interest in teenage girls in school uniforms.

Police raided his home in May this year and he admitted that the allegations against him were true and asked for the chat logs not to be read out.

“He said upon retirement in February 2023 he was 'quite bored' and discovered Kik then discovered Kik Messenger,” said Miss Beesley.

“He stated that he was having conversations with other males discussing abuse of children, which he referred to as 'sexual banter’,“ she said.

Jailing Smith, a married man with two disabled daughters, for 28 months a judge told him, “This is a complete tragedy for you as a person.

“It is unfortunate indeed that you find yourself in the dock of a crown court after an impressive career as a police officer.

“You are married and have teenage girls of your own and are plainly of previous good character,” said Judge Andrew Menary, KC, the Recorder of Liverpool.

He said that the offences spanned two weeks in April this year. “It is clear having retired you struggled to find a role and during that period you committed these offences.”

Smith, a former police sergeant, of Gorsefield Close, Eastham, Wirral, pleaded guilty to nine offences involving attempting to incite the girls to engage in sexual activity; attempted sexual communication; distributing indecent images of children and encouraging the commission of sexual activity with a child.

The judge, who said the offences were so serious only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate, ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time.

John Weate, defending, said that Smith was a family man and was “deeply ashamed.”

He has been doing community work including helping a blind runner and completed a ‘Safer Lives’ on line course. He was hospitalised after trying to take his own life, added Mr Weate.

“He has shown genuine remorse and genuine motivation to address his issues. He has expressed his utmost shame.”