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A student distributed video footage of young children being sexually abused and chatted online about an interest in raping a baby, Lincoln Crown Court was told on Tuesday.

Joshua Sly, who at the time was about to start a course at the University of Lincoln, sent three indecent video clips of children being abused to a Canadian woman he met through an online chat log.

Lisa Hardy, prosecuting, told the court that Sly had a “disturbing conversation” with the woman in which he told her he was performing a sexual act and thinking of raping a baby.

“She told him she had a three-week-old niece. He replied ‘perfect’,” said Mrs Hardy.

Sly’s internet activities attracted the attention of police and in November 2019 officers traced him to an address in uphill Lincoln.

A laptop and an iPhone were taken away and when the items were examined officers found 56 indecent images of children together with five extreme pornographic images.

Miss Hardy said: “On searching these devices what was of significant concern to the officers was the content of the chat he had engaged in on Kik and Skype.”

When Sly was later interviewed he said that at the time he committed the offences he was depressed and lonely.

“He said got into conversation with the Canadian woman and got sucked into a group of people who were into that sort of thing. He became involved with her. It became sexual and she began to send him things.”

The court was told that Sly, now a full-time student at the University of Lincoln, was only just 18 at the time he was involved with the woman and stopped his illegal activities six months before police turned up at his home.

Sly, now 20, of Spital Street, Lincoln, admitted distributing indecent images of children between July and September 2018.

He also admitted three charges of making an indecent image of a child and a further charge of possession of extreme pornographic images.

Christopher Jeyes, in mitigation, said that Sly has since reflected on his behaviour and accepted he has issues.

“It is something that is not easy for him to come to terms with. He is a young man who in many ways is isolated and unsupported.”

He said that Sly had little or no contact with his parents since he was 15 and was very isolated.

Sly was given a 16-month jail sentence suspended for two years with a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was ordered to complete a sex offender treatment programme and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Despite battling through the pandemic, St Barnabas Hospice is facing a crisis due to a combination of more people than ever needing palliative and end-of-life care and a lack of its usual income streams.

As the pandemic continues, the hospice has found the past year incredibly difficult. Despite switching much of its fundraising efforts online and running appeals to make up as much of the shortfall as possible, the hospice is now losing out on more than £1,000 per day.

Michelle Webb, Director of Patient Care, said: “2020 was incredibly tough on everyone, and there is a lot to be said for how we came through previous lockdowns. As we entered 2021, we hoped we would see things return to normal much more quickly.

“The St Barnabas team, across the whole of Lincolnshire, are still working incredibly hard to give every patient we see the personalised, compassionate care our charity has provided to local people for nearly 40 years now. However, unlike the NHS, we must fund most of our care directly from donations and fundraising.”

As the hospice’s charity shops are also currently shut, income is simply not there, and its most lucrative fundraising events such as the Colour Dash, Moonlight Walk, and others cannot take place on the same scale as before.

The charity, which operates across Lincolnshire and helps with a variety of services including palliative care, welfare and benefits, grief support and more, has set up a Urgent Care appeal here, where people can contribute as much or as little as they feel they can afford.

Ongoing events that have been able to continue are still open for registration. You can raise money via the hospice’s ‘Don’t Quit, Get Fit’ fitness challenge here, or families and schools can register for the Bunny Hop here.

A woman in Grantham was the victim of an alleged theft and fraud incident, in which her bank cards were used to take £700.

The woman in her 60s lost her purse while out in the Lincolnshire town on February 14.

Two bank cards were later used to withdraw money from cash machines in Grantham, including from the Esso service station on Harlaxton Road.

Lincolnshire Police released an image of a man on March 2, who they believe may be able to assist with their investigation.

He is described as five foot, 10 inches tall, of slim build, aged in his 20s and wearing dark clothing and glasses.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or by emailing [email protected] quoting incident 76 of February 15.

Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.