A 'shocked and upset' son messaged his father's friends falsely alleging he was a registered sex offender.

Karl Traynier, 35, sent the messages after telling his father, whom he had not spoken to in more than a decade, that his brother had died, only to get an "indifferent" response.

He urged his father's friends to "disassociate" themselves from his father.

Emma Wright, prosecuting, said: "Friends of his father had been contacted by the defendant on Facebook asking if they were aware he was a registered sex offender and rapist.

"He told them he was the eldest son who was beaten and had scalding hot water poured over him as a child.

"The victim is not a registered sex offender, and he left the family in 2007 and had not been in contact for 11 years."

She added: "Traynier admitted sending the message, saying he did not want people thinking his father was an angel.

"He deleted his own Facebook account after sending the messages to prevent his father from contacting him.

"He does regret that it caused distress to others, but not because it caused distress to his father."

Traynier, now of Francis Road, Kessingland, admitted one charge of sending offensive messages from July 23 2018 in Diss.

Robert Barley, mitigating, said: "He is a rather complicated gentleman with PTSD and borderline personality disorder and has complex needs from his childhood.

"His father leaving 11 years ago left the family in a state of bewilderment and his mother had a breakdown. All of that has had a long-lasting, dramatic impact on him as an adult.

"He contacted his father when his brother died but was shocked and upset at the indifferent response he received.

"He acted impulsively and without rational thought.

"His father had established a new network in Scotland and this came out of the blue.

"This was an unpleasant offence, but he needs some assistance and support rather than punishment."

Traynier was handed a 12-month community order involving a mental health treatment order and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must also pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85.