Jay Patterson, 26, is facing a single charge of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16 years.

Prosecutors have withdrawn a more serious charge of online grooming.

Patterson was employed as a teacher at a dance company in Sydney when the offence allegedly occurred in August 2016.

Court documents said Australian Federal Police  commenced an investigation after receiving information that Patterson was using the social media app Snapchat to send indecent pictures to a 14-year-old girl.

The girl told police she had noticed the previous month that a friend of hers was friends with Patterson on Snapchat, so decided to add him as a friend as well.

It is alleged he used the name “saucyburger” as his online profile.

The teen claimed a few days after Patterson accepted her friend request he started making comments about her body.

It is alleged he then began sending her pictures of him without a shirt on.

The teen sent a picture of herself to Patterson in which she was wearing only her underwear. He allegedly requested she send him nude photos of herself.

Prosecutors will also claim he sent the girl a photo of his exposed penis as well as a video of himself masturbating.

Police said the girl told a friend what had occurred.

AFP officers arrested Patterson at his home on the morning of October 12.

During a subsequent interview with investigators, Patterson confirmed he taught at the dance school and that the victim was one of his students, however declined to comment on allegations he’d sent her explicit images of himself.

He told officers he’d since deleted his Snapchat account.

Patterson will appear in Wollongong District Court in April for arraignment.