A social worker is accused of sending sexual messages to a teenage girl on messaging app Snapchat.

Sussex Police launched an investigation on March 3 after sexual messages were found on the girl’s Snapchat account between her and an adult man.

Thomas Weller, 33, from Horsham, was identified and arrested on March 24.

Weller has now been charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and three counts of unauthorised computer access with intent to commit other offences.

He was remanded in custody at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and will next appear at Lewes Crown Court on May 13.

Snapchat is a messaging app where people can send pictures to each other.