A SEX offender “bombarded” teenage girls with compliments on social media before engaging them in sexual activity, a court heard.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Nicholas Day, 24, had a “catastrophic” impact on the three girls he approached.

His offences spanned the period from when Day was 17 years of age up until he was aged 20.

They came to light when the police conducted a review of Day’s social media activity dating back to his previous conviction for other sexual offences.

The investigation revealed Day had engaged in sexual relationships with two girls, aged 15, and sent an indecent picture of himself to another.

The court heard after he was sent pictures by one of the girls, he threatened to put them on Facebook.

Day admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Nneka Akudolu, mitigating, said Day, of East Hill, Colchester, had admitted the offences to the police in March 2018, but was not charged until 2021.

In 2017, Day was sentenced to two years and four months in a young offender’s institution for committing sexual offences against children. 

Ms Akudolu said: “He had come out of prison, got on with his life, started rebuilding his life and then two years later he gets a tap on his shoulder saying ‘you’re back in court’.”

She said the delay was not the fault of Day, who is now actively seeking employment and undertaking volunteer work.

Judge Peters said she had to balance punishment against the recommendations of experts who feel any sentence of imprisonment would set back his progress towards rehabilitation.

She said although Day’s offences were “vile”, it was with a “slightly disgusted heavy heart” she felt she must suspend a two-year prison sentence for two years. He must complete 240 hours of unpaid work, complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and must sign the sex offender’s register for ten years.