A MAN who sent a video to a 14-year-old girl which showed him committing a sex act has been spared a prison sentence.

Thomas Stephen Andrew Reynolds, of Bishton Close, Tywyn, sent images of his private parts and a video of him committing the sex act to the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The 21-year-old befriended the girl through social media app Snapchat and soon began sending explicit messages.

His victim told a teacher she had received the sexual content and the police were called.

Prosecutor Diane Williams told Caernarfon Magistrates Court on Monday: “He had added her on Snapchat and begun sending her rude pictures of his private parts.”

She added: “He had heard the day before his police interview that there was involvement from the police and returned the phone to factory settings as a consequence.”

The Snapchat app is designed to ensure that messages sent disappear after a short period of time and can therefore not be retrieved.

Reynolds’ victim had been left feeling “uncomfortable around other people”, the prosecutor said.

Defending, Sam Aynsley told the court his client was unaware his victim was under the age of consent but that he accepted he had sent the ima­ges and the 10-second long video.

He said he had admitted to police officers that he had “been really stupid” and that “it makes me feel sick that I’ve done this”.

“He realises that those images are wholly inappropriate whatever age she is,” Mr Aynsley added.

The court heard that Reynolds had no previous convictions, suffered with mental health problems and had been suicidal.

Mr Aynsley asked justices that, given his client’s health issues and the fact that he had been humiliated and stigmatised within his small community, Reynolds (pictured) be given a suspended sentence.

“Since carrying out those actions, it has become known in the wider community and he has been the target of comments from members of the public,” he said.

Reynolds pleaded guilty to two offences of causing a child aged betw­een 13 and 15 to look at images of sexual activity.

Sentencing the 21-year-old, chair of magistrates Peter Lunt Williams told him: “This is a very serious matter and it concerns the public at large.

“We believe that the custody threshold has been passed due to the sex act element.”

Reynolds was handed a 17-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to complete a 60-day rehabilitation course and obey a 12-hour curfew between 7pm and 7am for three months.

Reynolds will be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

The 21-year-old was ordered to pay £150 in court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.