A HASELBURY Plucknett man accused of committing a series of sexual offences involving teenaged girls at locations across the country has been sent to Taunton Crown Court to stand trial.

Nathan Maund, is alleged to have tried to engage the victims to pose naked for photographs, look at images of himself performing sex acts and tried to meet one of them following a period of grooming.

The 23-year-old defendant, of Puddletown, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates, sitting at Yeovil.

He was charged with two counts of inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, namely exposing and photographing her naked private body areas.

These are alleged to have taken place between February 14, 2016 and May 14, 2016 at Merseyside and between March 1, 2016 and November 30, 2016 at Devonport.

It was also alleged that between March 1, 2016 and November 30, 2016 at Devonport, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, he intentionally caused a child 15 to look at an image of a person, namely himself engaging in sexual activity.

On September 25, 2016 at Devonport, he was alleged that having on at least two occasions met or communicated with a girl under the age of 16, namely 15, he travelled with the intention of meeting her, which if done would have involved the commission of a sexual offence.

The defendant did not enter any pleas to the offences and the magistrates said the case was so serious that he would have to be sent to Taunton Crown Court to stand trial.

They adjourned all matters until December 3 when Maund must appear before a pre trial hearing at Taunton and in the meantime he was released on conditional bail.