A PAEDOPHILE used a phone to access a legal sex site without telling police "to see what would happen".

Christopher Summers had previously been sentenced for trying to meet who he thought was an under age girl for sex after messaging online.

He was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order as part of that sentence, and was told he could not have a mobile phone with access to the internet, or use private browsing, without informing the police.

However, the 65-year-old, of The Greensted, Basildon, had bought a Samsung phone which had the ability to browse privately, and did not tell the police when asked.

He had then used this to access legal pornographic sites, but tried to hide this from the authorities.

He also deleted his internet history to prevent police from seeing what sites he had visited.

Summers eventually admitted two breaches of his order and was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Representing himself, he was asked by Judge Samantha Cohen why he had hidden the phone and had visited the site.

He replied: "I don't have an answer to that. It was just to see what happened."

Summers also said he had not told his 90-year-old mother he was in court, and that if he were sent to prison it could have a negative effect on her.

Judge Cohen replied: "You knew what would happen, you would be arrested. You were told that six months ago."

Summers also said he was in a stable relationship and his partner was looking to move to the UK within two to three weeks.

Judge Cohen gave Summers a suspended prison sentence of six months, saying it was only because of the impact on his mother that she had not sent him to jail.

She said: "You present a risk of future offending by contacting young people.

"These are deliberate breaches of your order.

"You knew perfectly well that you should have told police you were using the phone and should not have used private browsing.

"It's only because of the impact of you going to prison would have on your very elderly mother that I am going to suspend the prison sentence.

"You have escaped custody by the skin of your teeth."