A FORMER Whitchurch man accosted by police when trying to meet a 13-year-old girl in Whitchurch who turned out to be a decoy was jailed on Monday.

Anthony Allen, 29 and now of Wrexham, was handed a four-year sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday, November 18 for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and also inciting them to perform a sexual act.

The incidents date back to August and September 2018 when Allen was caught trying to meet a 13-year-old called Ruby at the Railway Spice in Whitchurch.

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He had been chatting to ‘Ruby’ for around a month and Judge Anthony Lowe heard that the defendant had requested she ‘touched herself’ and explained to her how to have sex.

He added that he would ‘show her how to do it if she wanted him to’ and advised the decoy to Google sexual activity to make a list of things ‘she wanted him to do’.

Allen then advised ‘Ruby’ to delete her internet history and when she asked if they would get into trouble for meeting, the defendant said ‘big trouble’, but still tried to arrange a meeting at his flat.

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The vigilante group alerted members that Allen was trying to meet a teenager and confronted him in September 2018 at the former Indian restaurant in Station Road before police arrested him.

He initially denied the offences but later changed his plea to guilty and has faced an 18-month wait to be sentenced.

Simon Parry, prosecuting, told the court that Allen’s offending was aggravated because of ‘persistent and sustained communication’ and because he was asking for pictures.

Defending barrister Kevin Jones told Judge Lowe that, the long wait for sentencing plus his plea could mean sentence was suspended.

He added that Allen had not re-offended since his arrest and that he was trying to stabilise his mental health.

Mr Jones also said that his client had taken some responsibility for his offending but admitted he still did not accept his interest in children was sexual.

However, Judge Lowe told Allen that the offences were "too serious for me to bring it down to suspend it".

He added: “As far as you were aware, she was 13 and you encouraged her into sexualised behaviour when only 13.

“You didn’t know it was a decoy.

“You had no idea what sort of person you were dealing with and what sort of damage was being caused by what you were suggesting.

“It was clear that you had intentions – you made arrangements and many suggestions about meeting and you refer to yourself having sex with someone you knew was only 13.

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“You denied you have no sexual interest in children – I don’t accept that.

“You need to understand that if you behave like this, you go to prison for a long time.”

Allen was jailed for four years, reduced from 6.5 years, and will be released halfway through on licence. He was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.