Ninja Warrior UK contestant Shane Oakden jailed for child grooming

Shane Oakden appeared as a contestant on a TV gameshow in 2015

A college lecturer who appeared on a TV gameshow has been jailed for three years for grooming a 13-year-old schoolgirl via social media.

Shane Oakden, 45, from Lincoln, sent naked photos and videos of himself and asked the girl to do the same.

Lincoln Crown Court heard he knew the girl's age but told her "age doesn't matter when you're having fun".

The former Ninja Warrior UK contestant admitted three sex offences between July and September last year.

Read more stories from across Lincolnshire

Oakden, of Wentworth Way, who appeared on the ITV show in 2015, was caught when the victim's mum checked her daughter's phone after she became concerned with her behaviour.

Victim 'needed counselling'

Prosecutor Victoria Rose said: "The phone was handed over to police. Messages were recovered from the girl's phone.

"He was requesting she send him naked photographs of herself.

"On the phone there was one of her in her underwear and one of her naked that had been sent to the defendant."

Ms Rose told the court Oakden encouraged the victim to meet him and stay a night in a hotel.

He also told her "what he would like to do with her sexually".

She said the teenager had been so badly affected she ran away from her parents and had to have counselling.

Oakden, a body builder, pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child.