A serial online abuser has been spared jail for sending a “grossly offensive” message to a reporter at a regional daily – just weeks after being released from prison following a similar offence.

Harry Simmons has pleaded guilty to sending the obscene message to a Dorset Echo journalist.

According to the Echo, the 22-year-old admitted sending a message deemed indecent, obscene or menacing via Facebook in what was his sixth conviction for the same offence.

Simmons will be sentenced next month but has been told at Poole Magistrates Court he will “not be going back to prison”.

The court heard on Thursday the offending message was sent to a reporter between 4 and 8 June this year.

Aileen Tring, defending, told the hearing: “[Simmons] has been ping-ponging from various prisons for many years. He needs properly assessing to find out what is going on with this young man.

“He said he had been seriously abused when he was younger. Previous psychiatric reports did not properly assess and help him – he takes medication for depression.

“He should be assessed in the community along with helpful measures put in place to stop this cycle of offences.”

Simmons was given conditional bail and is banned from using a device with access to the internet until he appears at Weymouth Magistrates Court on 22 July for sentencing, following a psychiatric report.

He was ordered to attend all arranged meetings with probation and is not allowed to contact any members of staff from the Echo.

Chair of the bench Mike Davis told Simmons: “This is not rational behaviour for a young man.

“Prison is clearly not the answer. This is the sixth conviction with an offence of this nature.

“You will not be going back to prison, we are going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you commit another offence before appearing in court again – you will go to prison.

“You are to live and sleep according to what probation services tell you.”