A CHEF tried to groom a vulnerable 15-year-old girl and sent her an obscene picture of himself on Snapchat.

Convicted sex offender Dewi Cliff Mortimer, of Oakdale, near Blackwood, was warned by a judge he could be facing a lengthy prison sentence.

The 23-year-old, a chef who works at a Newport pub, appeared from custody at the city’s magistrates’ court after being arrested last week.

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Judge David Parsons heard that by committing the offence, Mortimer, was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order imposed in August 2017.

The court did not hear any detail relating to it, but it was revealed he was already a registered sex offender.

Mike Williams, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16.

“He had a Snapchat relationship with a vulnerable 15-year-old girl.

“She made it quite clear that she was 15 and the two had lengthy conversations going back possibly as long ago as 12 months.

“His offending is aggravated by the fact he sent the child an obscene picture of himself.”

Mortimer pleaded guilty to communicating with the girl in breach of a sexual harm prevention order and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Frank Whittle, representing the defendant, told Judge Parsons his client was a working man who was employed by the Dragonfly pub in Newport and that he lived with his parents.

The court declined jurisdiction in dealing with Mortimer.

The judge told the defendant his sentencing powers of a maximum of 12 months in prison “may not be sufficient”.

Sentence was adjourned to April 17 and Mortimer was granted conditional bail.

He was told he is forbidden from accessing the internet.