Parents are being warned to keep a close eye on their children's phones after a Bridport man was sentenced for 'revenge porn' involving a teenage girl.

Edward Butchart, aged 25 and of Cherry Tree, was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 24 months, at Weymouth Magistrates' Court on Thursday, May 11.

At an earlier hearing on Friday, March 17, he pleaded guilty to disclose/threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.

Butchart also pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

His offences took place between November 1, 2021 and December 12, 2021.

As well as receiving a suspended sentence, Butchart was given a restraining order and must carry out rehabilitation work. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register after pleading guilty to the three counts in March.

The Crown Prosecution Service says that revenge pornography is a broad term usually involving an individual uploading onto the internet intimate sexual images of a victim to cause them humiliation or embarrassment.

A relatively new offence, it is punishable with a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment.

A relative of the victim in this case - who was 13 at the time of the offence - said she wanted to raise awareness of the crime.

"They have to live with this for the rest of their life," they added. "It is online grooming and it feels like nobody is aware.

"We want to warn people that this was well disguised and it was one of these flukes that we managed to catch it."

Detective Sergeant Paul Chessell, of Dorset Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: "I would like to praise the victim for having the strength to come forward and support our investigation so we could bring Edward Butchart before the court to be sentenced for these offences.

"We recognise the importance of educating young people on how to use the internet safely and the dangers of chatting to people you do not know online or via messaging apps.

"There are guides online that assist parents and provide advice, such as regular checking of phones and devices and putting restrictions on applications that are downloaded to devices.

"We would encourage children to speak with their parents or a trusted adult about anything they encounter online that causes them concern."

To report any offences visit www.dorset.police.uk or call Dorset Police on 101.