A man accused of requesting explicit pictures from underage girls on the internet has made his first appearance at Teesside Crown Court.
Philip Smart, 25, is accused of contacting schoolgirls, asking them to send him indecent photographs of themselves and sending a photo of himself “in a state of undress”.
He is charged with meeting a girl under 16 in Stockton following grooming between January 29 and February 7.
It is alleged that he communicated with the girl at least twice and arranged to meet her intending to take part in sexual activity.
He is also charged with attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity by asking her to expose herself to him on February 11.
He appeared via video link to Holme House Prison in Stockton at Teesside Crown Court today.
Prosecutor David Lamb said the Crown alleged that Smart had been “contacting underage girls via telephone over the internet asking them to send indecent photographs of themselves”.
He added: “The Crown alleges that he sent a photograph of himself in a state of undress to one of those girls.”
Scott Taylor, defending, said Smart denied sending any inappropriate messages or that the image was of him.
Smart, of Yarm Road, Stockton, has not yet entered pleas to the two charges against him.
After the short preliminary hearing, Judge Howard Crowson remanded Smart in custody until a plea hearing on May 1.
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