A SHED where an alleged paedophile messaged a nine-year-old girl was described as ‘messy’ with a ‘terrible smell’, a jury has heard.

Christopher Philips has been charged with five counts of child sexual offences which are alleged to have occurred between May and July of 2021.

The 47-year-old was charged after a member of Forbidden Scotland, an online predator hunting team, posed as a 13-year-old girl named Rihanna and reported him to police for alleged sexual communication.

READ MORE: Ex-girlfriend of cocaine kingpin pleads guilty for alleged involvement

After a shed at his address in Breame Oak Drive, Wheatley, was searched by officers, it was discovered Philips had reportedly been engaged in ‘an enormous number’ of conversations with underage people – including a nine-year-old girl.

Giving evidence on Tuesday (January 30), an officer who searched the shed described it as a ‘strong odour’ and the windows and doors were blocked out with black tarpaulin.

Officer Stephanie Thompson said: “The length of the entrance was covered by black tarpaulin we couldn’t see anything and had to move that away to get in.

“There was a couple of chairs, like lounge chairs, there was a tv in the corner and multiple bags of rubbish.

“It was messy. There was a terrible smell, there were beer cans and cigarettes. It was a stale, strong odour like someone had spent a lot of time in there. It smelled unclean.”

READ MORE: Scales of Justice: The latest cases from Oxford Magistrates' Court

A Google mobile phone was seized and a PlayStation.

A handwritten note was also found in the defendant’s handwriting with the name of a child pornography site.

During the cross-examination, it was put to the officer that the house was south-facing, meaning that the tarpaulin had been put up to block out the sunshine.

The officer responded: “It blocked out everything.

"I don’t know why he had the tarpaulin up.” She added that should not confirm whether the house was south-facing or not.

Another police officer, the arresting constable, was also questioned in court about whether Philips had made any admissions upon arrest but the jury heard that Philips said nothing after he was cautioned.

READ MORE: 'Your hearts may have sank': Child sex-messaging trial hears charges

Philips was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of possession of an indecent photograph of a 13-year-old girl.

He has denied all charges, telling police he believed the people he was conversing with to be adults.

The trial continues.