20-year-old jailed for grooming teenager Kayleigh Haywood
A 20-year-old has been detained after admitting sending Kayleigh Haywoodexplicit messages days before she was murdered.
Bruce Cordwell attempted to arrange to meet the tragic teenager over Facebook and WhatsApp for sex between November 10 and 13 2015.
15-year-old Kayleigh, from Measham in Leicestershire, was raped and killed by landscape gardener Stephen Beadman after being bombarded with messages on Facebook and other social media sites for around two weeks by 28-year-old Luke Harlow.
Leicester Crown Court heard Cordwell, a "problematic young man", sentKayleigh two pictures of his genitals.
He knew Kayleigh was under-age but sent one explicit message which left the court "in no doubt about what he intended".
The pair exchanged around 100 messages on November 10, with Cordwell making repeated requests for Kayleigh to go on webcam - which she refused - and claiming he was "fitter and better than her boyfriend".
Cordwell, who has two red lipstick kiss tattoos on his neck, bowed his head as the evidence was read out, while Kayleigh's mother Stephanie watched on from the public gallery.
The following day, Cordwell apologised for his messages, saying: "I'm sorryabout that, I have not had sex for a few weeks so just get turned on easy, you know?" before going on to ask her to meet twice.
After Kayleigh was reported missing, Cordwell sent her a message on November 16 saying: "You need to get home, your parents are worried sick about you. You are only 15."
The messages came to light as part of the investigation into Kayleigh's murder - and the court was told Cordwell had no links to that offence.
Cordwell, who has 17 previous offences including shoplifting, battery andcriminal damage, pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and was sentenced to detention for three years and seven months.
He added that no actual meeting had taken place and ordered Cordwell sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Luke Harlow lured Kayleigh into into his home in Ibstock, Leicestershire, onNovember 14, and was later given a 12-year jail term for false imprisonment and grooming. Beadman was jailed for life for the rape and murder of Kayleigh.