A Norfolk man told a girl more than 30 years his junior that he would like to 'love her and abuse her' in a string of messages which were found by the victim's mother.

Adrian Colk, 52, sent the "sexually explicit" texts to the 15-year-old girl, including encouragements to commit sexual acts upon herself.

Norwich Crown Court heard the offending was only discovered after the victim's mother found messages on her daughter's Apple watch and contacted police.

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said the victim was referred to as a "little slut" in one of the texts.

He said messages found were of an "explicit" and "inappropriate nature".

In some of them, Colk thanked the victim for agreeing to "give yourself to me" and said he would "love you and abuse you".

He also referred to her as being "beautiful" and "innocent" but "naughty and sexy all at the same time".

Police were contacted after the discovery and Colk was arrested and devices seized.

The victim's mother read out a moving statement in court stating she felt she had seen some of the "vile" and "disgusting" messages and felt she had let her daughter down "so badly".

She said: "It's never going to go away, what you did to us."

Colk, of Wodehouse Close, Stalham, appeared at court on Monday (February 5) having admitted sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in September and October 2021.

Eastern Daily Press: Adrian ColkAdrian Colk (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)Jailing him for three years, Judge Anthony Bate said the offences were "so serious that only immediate imprisonment" could be justified.

Eastern Daily Press: Judge Anthony BateJudge Anthony Bate (Image: Newsquest)He also praised the bravery of the victim's mother in reading out the statement which "shows how widely the impact (of such offences) can be felt".

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said he had admitted his guilt which was his "single most important" piece of mitigation.

He said Colk had not been in trouble before but accepted his behaviour was "reprehensible".

Colk was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and also put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.