A 42-year-old man has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of committing sexual offences against women and children who he targeted on the internet.

One of his victims was from Skipton. Michael Atherton, of Westbourne Grove, Scarborough, contacted his victims on Facebook and by e-mail using false profiles to gain their trust before exposing himself to them.

Atherton, who also uses the surname Alderton, was found guilty of 17 offences when he appeared at York Crown Court on Friday.