A Port Erin man who had sexual conversations online with people he believed were 14-year-old girls has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Blake Robert Thomas Gelling, aged 33, also sent explicit photographs to decoys posing as children on Facebook.

The decoys were working on behalf of a child online safety team.

Gelling pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual communication with a child and one count of distributing an intimate image.

Magistrates sentenced him to 12 months’ custody, suspended for 18 months.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.

Prosecuting advocate Annie Bannister told magistrates that police received information from the child online safety team, which is a voluntary group.

Two decoy Facebook profiles had been set up as 14-year-old girls called ‘Mia’ and ‘Brooke’, with dates of birth shown as 2011.

In June 2025, Gelling engaged with both profiles on Facebook and WhatsApp on a number of occasions.

During the conversations, he sent sexually explicit messages and asked questions about having sex.

In one message to ‘Mia’, Gelling asked: ‘If I asked you for sex with a condom, would you give it to me?’

He also sent her two explicit photographs of an erect penis.

Further sexual conversations took place with ‘Brooke’, during which Gelling discussed talking sexually and asked about meeting for sex.

Gelling, who lives at Edremony Estate, was arrested and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Advocate James Peterson, representing Gelling, asked magistrates to follow the recommendation of a probation report, which suggested supervision.

Mr Peterson also referred to a psychiatric report, saying the defendant had a number of learning difficulties and some autistic traits, although he had not been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition.

The advocate said Gelling had been assessed as being vulnerable in a prison environment.

Mr Peterson accepted the offences were serious but said, in mitigation, that no actual communication had taken place with children.

He also said more than a year had passed since the offences without any repetition.

The court heard Gelling had caring responsibilities, while Mr Peterson said the SHPO would help protect the public through monitoring of his internet access.

The defence also highlighted that Gelling had no previous convictions and pointed to the length of time which had passed since the offences took place.

Mr Peterson argued that supervision, alongside the restrictions imposed through the SHPO, would provide safeguards, with Gelling’s internet access subject to monitoring as part of the order

Magistrates told Gelling: ‘This was a serious matter, you were left in no doubt you were speaking to 14-year-old girls.

‘Luckily you weren’t. But in your mind you were.’

Gelling was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs at £10 per week, deducted from benefits.