A MAN who was caught meeting what he thought was an 11-year-old girl in a paedophile hunter sting has been jailed for three years and four months.

David Taylor, who had sent the ‘child’ a picture of his penis, had condoms on him when he went to KFC in Bath to meet 'her'.

But when he arrived near the fast food outlet the 45-year-old, who has a previous caution for having indecent images of children, was met by a paedophile hunter.

After seeing the video of Taylor being confronted on Facebook the police went to his Trowbridge home to arrest him.

Having seized his computer they found the chat logs where he was talking to what he thought was the 11-year-old.

James Haskell, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the burly, bearded, defendant arranged to meet the youngster on April 25.

He had been communicating on a forum called chatiw with the vigilante, who was using the profile name 'Girl from Bath’.

“He sent photographs of himself, including of his penis, and he engaged in conversations of a sexually explicit nature,” he said.

“On April 25 that person arranged to meet the defendant at KFC in Bath and indeed there was such a meeting.

“And it was a result of that meeting that the video became posted and the police became aware of what was said.

“The police arrested the defendant and seized his computers and chat logs provided to the police."

Mr Haskell gave the court explicit details of the chat log conversations, which included Taylor making sexual requests, adding: "When he was questioned he admitted thinking he was talking to an 11-year-old girl, that he took condoms with him and had arranged to take her to a friend’s house.

Taylor, of Rodwell Park, Trowbridge, admitted twice attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity between March 31 and April 25.

He denied a third count of trying to meet a child after sexual grooming and that was left to lie on the file.

Simon Goodman, defending, told the court that his client was immature, had mental health issues, and had probably never had a proper relationship.

He said “He has not denied taking condoms: the only evidence that he did came from him. He has always said if push came to shove nothing would have happened.

“This is the offending of a lonely man: alone at night with the temptation of the internet. It is appalling, I don’t want to excuse it but that is what it is.

“He is not to be sentenced for ever actually going through with this. That is very important and reduces the seriousness of this, in my submission.”

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “What you arranged was more than a vague arrangement involving a place and a time.

“You arranged where you meet, when you would meet. You wanted it to appear to others that you appeared like father and daughter.”

As well as jailing Taylor he imposed a sexual harm prevention restricting his liberty for 10 years and ordered he register as a sex offender for life.

An NSPCC spokesman for South West England said: “Taylor groomed an intended child victim with the sole intention of meeting and sexually abusing her.

“He was fully aware of her supposed age but continued with his despicable behaviour regardless. This kind of predatory offending ruins childhoods, with the devastating effects lasting into adulthood.

“Taylor must be policed effectively on his release from prison to help reduce any risk he poses to children.”

Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free 24/7 on 0808 800 5000. Meanwhile, children can call Childline on 0800 1111.