A YOUNG father was branded "evil" for duping two girls into sending him half-naked photos that he then posted on social media with "devastating consequences".

Shawn Evans-Norris, of Taggs Gate, Barton, used a fake Facebook account to approach the girls, 16 and 14, and said if they sent through pictures of themselves in their underwear he could arrange for them to get modelling work.

But there was no work, and instead the girls were horrified to discover the images had been posted online, driving the older girl to self-harm and attempt to take her own life.

Health leaders said yesterday the case was a "powerful" example of the impact sexting – sending sexual pictures to other people via mobile phones – can have on young people.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver told Oxford Crown Court on Thursday[apr28] how the younger girl sent images of herself in her bra and a video of herself stripping to Evans-Norris after he contacted her on Facebook.

When she ignored his demands for another video of her, he exacted his revenge by posting them online along with an offensive message, and then she begged him to take them down.

The older girl was offered cash to model by Evans-Norris if she sent photos showing she was "good enough", but having sent topless pictures, the next thing she knew friends were telling her he had posted them on Facebook.

Ms Olliver said while the younger girl was left "angry and outraged" by the incident, the impact on the older teenager was more severe.

She added: "She says she was so upset she nearly killed herself and she self-harmed by cutting herself.

"She self harms now every day, this is due to what what happened involving this case.

"It has had a devastating effect on her."

The court heard Evans-Norris was tracked down by police using his IP address, but he originally denied the offences when quizzed by officers.

He later admitted two counts of possessing indecent photos of the girls and two counts of sharing indecent photos of the girls between January and May last year.

He denied two counts of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography between February 28, 2014, and May 12, 2015. Both counts were left to lie on file.

Tim Greaves, defending, said his client had not committed the crimes because of a sexual desire, but a need for control brought on by his first girlfriend being unfaithful to him.

He added his client had set up the fake Facebook profiles to monitor his ex-girlfriend's behaviour.

He said: "He was devastated when the relationship broke up.

"It was born out of some form of frustration and a need to exert control.

"He is remorseful, he understands the devastating consequences for the two girls."

Judge Ross said he was moved to go outside the national sentencing guidelines to give Evans-Norris a longer sentence.

Possessing indecent images of children has a recommended prison sentence of 12-months, with judges having the option of imposing between 26 weeks and two years in jail.

But Judge Ross jailed Evans-Norris for two years and three months for his "evil offending".

He said: "Those who do this for sexual gratification, it seems to me, are more easily treated.

"Yours is more sinister offending - it's about gaining control over young girls and being prepared to humiliate them and threaten them."

Speaking after the hearing, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust's school nurses service manager Pauline Nicklin stressed cases like this were powerful in highlighting the effect it can have on young people's wellbeing.

She added: "There are some evil people out there and even the ones who are not evil can lead to disgusting or awful things happening."

Mrs Nicklin said the police, social services, health workers and teachers have to work together to impress upon teenagers the drastic consequences sexting can have.

She added: "It's getting the message across they shouldn't be doing it and it can come back and bite them later in life.

"The difficulty is quite a few young people - particularly girls - say 'why shouldn't I? I look good'."