A former Norfolk hospital worker jailed for sex offences, including explicit online chats with girls he believed to be as young as 12, impersonated a police officer to try to get his NHS job back.

Jordan Ellis, 27, who was a care assistant at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and a St John Ambulance volunteer, was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months for a string of sexual offences.

Police who raided his then home in Lawson Road, Lowestoft, seized his laptop and phone.

Prosecutor Ian James told Norwich Crown Court specialist officers accessed an instant messaging service and retrieved deleted data from the chats with online profiles that stated they were children.

In one he asked what he believed to be a 15-year-old girl whether he could also see her 10-year-old sister, he said.

Ellis, who now lives in Benbow Close, Hethersett, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to incite three separate children aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sending images of his body parts and two counts of attempting sexual communication with two children he believed were 14 and 15.

He also admitted making and distributing indecent images of children.

Appearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, he also pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer when he sent fraudulent emails.

During the investigation, he had been suspended from his job as an NHS health care assistant and from his voluntary work for St John Ambulance.

However, he sent an email to both organisations in November 2019 attaching a letter purporting to be from DC Amy Nunn, an officer working on the investigation, to say no further action was to be taken against him.

DC Nunn said: “This has been a complicated job with Ellis taking many steps to try and hide his offending.

“The predatory nature of this individual has been exposed and the risk he poses to children can now be managed.”

St John Ambulance confirmed Ellis had been suspended as a volunteer upon his arrest and then dismissed when he pleaded guilty to his crimes.

A spokesperson for the charity added: "We are appalled by Jordan Ellis’s crimes and our thoughts go out to anyone who has been affected.”