A teenager who had sex with a 14-year-old girl and encouraged a 15-year-old to send him explicit pictures of herself has been spared an immediate jail term.

Ryan Kelly, 19, of Rabley Wood View, Marlborough, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of a child when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday.

But after ruling he was an immature teenager who was closer to the victims in emotional age, a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told the court the 14-year-old girl had known him for some time when they made contact over a messaging service and arranged to meet, then having sex.

Miss Hingston said the second girl was in a relationship with him when he pestered her to have sex with him. The youngster said he told her to keep quiet about them being together because of her age.

She said the teenage had sent him about 20 photographs, some in her underwear and other naked, which send to him after he had put pressure on her to send them.

Mark Sharman, defending, said his client was 18 at the time and had no previous convictions.

Judge Douglas Field said: "You are a young man of 19 and the pre-sentence report describes you as an immature young man who doesn't have complete social skills.

"You had sex with a girl when she was 14 but you were 18 and emotionally you were much closer to her in age.

"The other girl was 15 and it is not alleged you had sex with her but the indecent images were from her. This was totally inappropriate behaviour.

"This legislation is there to in effect protect these young girls from themselves."

But he added: "Bearing in mind all the circumstances I don't think it is necessary to send you to prison immediately."

He imposed a six-month jail term suspended for a year and Kelly must register as a sex offender for seven years.