A TEENAGER who manipulated more than 2000 schoolboys into engaging in sex acts online by pretending to be a schoolgirl called Lucy walked free from court today.

Michael Wyles breached a suspended sentence for possession of indecent images of children just one month after it was issued when police found fresh pictures on his Ipod, Reading Crown Court heard.

The 19-year-old, who was banned from accessing the internet or having a mobile phone, was tracked down to a pub where he worked before confessing to the police.

During an interview he admitted he had contacted around 2,000 teenagers using a false identity.

He told his victims he was a teenage girl called Lucy and sent them a picture of a girl unknown to him, trying to persuade them to pleasure themselves on webcam.

Prosecuting, Charles Ward-Jackson said: "On March 17 police went to his home in Reading. They went to his bedroom and took an Ipod Touch. He was not home so they went to his place of work, the Water Tower pub.

"He was very apologetic and gave up his Iphone. He was then interviewed at the police station.

"His method was pretending to a be girl called Lucy. He would then send to the boys images of a teenage girl."

Wyles previously admitted to downloading 35 indecent images of children, downloading a single image of a naked child, and also admitted encouraging or commissioning an image of a four-year-old girl in the bath.

Gavin Holmes, defending, said: "In the police interview he was forthcoming and candid. Count three is an anomaly because it is very clear his sexual preference does not fit into that category. His preference is teenage boys.

"He has had periods of considerable alcohol intake and maybe that was a feature."

Sentencing Wyles, of Derrick Close, Reading, Judge Cutts said: "You are a young man still at 19 years old and on December 21 in this court you pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, all taking place in March of last year.

"The fact is that these boys are children. They were not capable of consent. They were being manipulated by you.

"If you are given an immediate custodial sentence you will be unable to continue the programme you are on.

"I am going to suspend a period of custody because I realise you had not had a chance in March to start the programme."

On count one he was sentenced to two years, on count two, four months and on count three 12 months. All were suspended for two years and ordered to run concurrently.

Wyles was also required to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work, pay a fine of £500 for breaching a suspended sentence and £1,000 court costs.