Detectives from the PSNI’s Child Sexual Exploitation team have charged a 53-year-old man with a number of offences, following a pro-active policing operation in the Ballymoney area.

The charges include; causing or inciting child between 13 and 16 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, intentionally encouraging or assisting the distribution of indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.

He is further charged with sexual communication with a child, two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a sex offence against a child.

The man is due to appear before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 25th February.

As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

It is understood the charges are in relation to offences from three separate incidents that have been investigated by detectives.