A PAEDOPHILE is back behind bars after being caught trying to get a 14-year-old to carry out a sex act over Skype.

Gary Palmer sent a vile picture of himself as he tried to encourage the youngster to carry out a sex act on herself for his own gratification.

But in reality the 37-year-old was corresponding with a police officer who was patrolling internet chat rooms under the guise of a teenage girl.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Palmer, of Sparrow Street, Trowbridge, was banned from online chat rooms as part of a sentence imposed in 2009.

But in February an officer using the name Phoebe was online when the defendant started a highly sexualised conversation.

"The law enforcement officer made it clear that he or she was a 14-year-old child several times throughout the conversation," Mr Meeke said.

"But the chat very quickly descended to the most lurid tones and term, I don't need to read them out: they are singularly boring but equally obscene."

He said Palmer tried to get what he thought was a schoolgirl to carry out sex acts on herself, while he sent her vile images of himself and also of bestiality.

As a result of what the officer saw they were able to track down the defendant's computer and colleagues went to his home and arrested him.

He was found to have two mobile phones, one of which confirmed the contact he had made with the officer, and when he was questioned he admitted what he had done.

Palmer admitted breaching a sexual offences prevention order, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing extreme pornography.

The court was told that he was jailed for five years, with a three year extended licence, when he was living in Salisbury in 2009.

On that occasion he had contacted girls under 13 online and persuaded them to undress and carry out sex acts on themselves while he watched on a webcam.

He also distributed indecent photographs of children and was found with more than 800 images of child abuse.

He was released from jail in 2011 but after breaching his licence was returned to prison, getting out again in 2015.

Nicola Talbot-Hadley, defending, said that her client was sorry for what he had done and was aware he needed help for his issues.

As a result of being remanded in custody. she said. he had lost his job and flat for what was a single lapse.

Jailing him Judge Jason Taylor QC said "You said to probation that you are attracted to girls over the age of 11. You are a high risk of committing further sexual offences.

"The 'girl' was an undercover police officer patrolling the chat room. Had she not been patrolling the website that might have been a real 14-year-old girl."

He sentenced him to 18 months with a three year extended licence, meaning he will serve two-thirds of the custodial period.