A Royal Navy officer accused of asking an undercover investigator to get him a girl as young as 12 for sex will stand trial next week.

Jeremy Pepper, 31, from Hove, was allegedly caught sending child pornography to the undercover officer, whom he "met" in an internet chatroom.

Pepper, a chief petty officer based on HMS Drake, is said to have attempted to incite him to distribute indecent photographs of under-age girls.

He is also accused of having more than 400 pictures of girls under 16 on his computer and of attempting to incite the US-based Customs officer to procure a girl aged between 12 and 14 for sex between September 2002 and February 2003.

He appeared at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court yesterday for legal arguments before the trial begins on September 6.

Judge Simon Smith banned reporting of the arguments.

Pepper, who is married and lives in The Upper Drive, appeared in the dock dressed in a dark blue suit.