November 2013 Rishton pervert tempted girls to have sex A FACEBOOK pervert who asked three schoolgirl for sex acts was spared immediate jail. Burnley Crown Court heard how Thomas Hartley, 20, communicated with two of the girls, who were aged 12 and 13, on the social networking site and one by text message. He got pleasure from what he was doing but never met them. Hartley, an epileptic with ‘certain mental health difficulties’ struck early last year. The defendant, of Bridge Street, Rishton, admitted three counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He received 18 months in jail, suspended for two years, with two years’ supervision and a curfew, between 8pm and 6am and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register. Hartley, a cannabis smoker and drinker, asked one of the girls to perform a sex act. She said she wasn’t interested but said her friend might be. The second girl went along with it for a while and the third girl was asked for an indecent act. Hartley was found out after one of the girls told her brother, her father was involved and police were called. Katherine Pierpoint, for Hartley, said he had not been in trouble in the last 18 months. Judge Simon Newell told him what he had done was inappropriate, wrong and criminal