A MAN who went on an internet chat room site and asked someone to have sex with his sister has narrowly avoided jail.

Michael Allen, 35, of Huntsman’s Walk, Foxwood, who admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, by a judge at York Crown Court yesterday.

He was ordered to undergo 30 days of rehabilitation activity and given a sexual harm prevention order.

It was the second time Allen had been spared prison, having had a three month sentence suspended for 18 months last year after pleading guilty to seven charges of having indecent images and videos and pictures of children.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said yesterday he had logged onto an internet chatroom and asked someone he had never met if he had a sister and, if so, if he would have sex with her while he listened on his mobile phone.The man acted responsibly and contacted police to tell them what had happened.

The judge said Allen had learning disabilities and there was a chance for him to receive help.

Andrew Stranex said in mitigation that Allen’s parents were "devastated" by what had happened, and had prevented him having any access to the internet.

Allen was ill equipped to deal with a prison environment and needed assistance to help him, he added.