Ex-policeman acquitted over porn video

A former police officer was found not guilty today of trying to send a pornographic video to a 13-year-old girl.

Using the screen name of Mr Turnip, Marco Nogueira, 31, had a series of sexually explicit chats with a girl he knew as "Becky", who was in fact a police investigator.

But the defendant told the court the girl's profile stated she was 16-years-old and he met her in an adult chat room. As such he believed she was lying when she later told him she was 13-years-old.

After hearing the jury return a not guilty verdict, Mr Nogueira said he was "glad it is now all over".

"It hasn't sunk in yet," he added.

The probationer was arrested just moments before he was due to go on duty at Woolwich Police Station on February 27, 2009.

The arrest related to a link to a video of oral sex he sent to "Becky" - a girl he befriended on the Chatterbox site - in February 2008.

The court heard he frequently posted messages on the site saying: "I'm looking to f*** a 16-year-old. I've a girlfriend but fancy some fun."

He also told Becky he would "love to train you up sexually" if only she was 16, the court heard.

But the defendant said he was using such language to get a "reaction".

He said in evidence: "I know it's bad but I went down the crude route.

"I was trying to be crude so I would get a reaction.

"I didn't know I would get in this much trouble."

Nogueira also told the court it did not "hit home" how serious his actions were at the time.

He said although Becky told him she was 13, her profile stated she was 16 so he thought she was lying.

"I didn't think she was under 16," he said.

"It was in an adult environment."