The defendant has been too ashamed to leave her home, her friends have abandoned her and she has been shunned by the local community, the hearing was told.

Defence barrister Andrew Finlay said pre-sentence reports on Walls had not been prepared because she had not attended appointments with probation officers.

He said: "She has been too ashamed and frightened to leave the house.

"Most of her friends when they found out about this offence dropped her and obviously she has been dismissed from her work."

Judge Guy Whitburn QC branded the text messages "disgusting".

'Need help'

He said: "Obviously the court needs to know about why you did the wicked things you did in texting this boy.

"It may well be that you need help. I regard this as a serious matter and a custodial sentence cannot be ruled out."

At a previous hearing the court heard Walls used the interactive computer game Warcraft to befriend the teenager, from London, and get his mobile phone number.

She sent the boy texts, which outlined what she intended to do with him if they met. She was caught out when his father read them.

Walls of Rose Street East, Penshaw, Sunderland, was granted conditional bail until 9 February when she will be sentenced.