A SWINDON man who travelled to south Wales to have sex with a 15-year-old girl was arrested after the 'child' turned out to be paedophile hunters.

Jason Watts arranged to meet the youngster after sending obscene pictures to what he thought was a schoolgirl and telling her he loved her.

But the 25-year-old has been spared jail after a judge heard he had a difficult upbringing and was very immature for his age.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the Welsh group posted a false profile on Facebook of a 15-year-old girl in mid-January.

The defendant started to chat with her online for a number of days and from the outset there was discussion about her age, she said.

“The defendant asked this person how old they were. The reply was ‘I am 15, is that too young?’ Within a few days he is talking about camera fun.”

Photographs were sent and he asked her to send him a picture of her naked, which she refused to do.

He also told her loved her and left a series of voice recordings where he talks about her parents and coming to her home to see her.

On February 26 he got the train from Swindon to Newport and when the paedophile hunters met him they handed him over to police.

Miss Hingston said it was clear from the messages he sent before travelling he planned to have sex with the child.

She said said since his arrest he had continued to go online trying to communicate with other underage girls.

Although he contacted another profile for a 14-year-old girl he was not charged with that matter, though he had twice been arrested for breach of bail.

Watts, of Culvery Court, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Will Rose, defending, said although he travelled to Wales a girl was never going to be abused as it was all a sting.

His client had trouble growing up and had never been in paid work, he said, though he had volunteered helping people with severe mental and physical difficulties get into sport.

He said he was prepared to engage in treatment and was deeply ashamed at what he had done.

Judge Robert Pawson imposed a three-year community order with 30 days of programme requirement, 30 of rehabilitation activity requirement and a £250 fine.

He must register as a sex offender for five years and also abide by a sexual harm prevention order.

In a statement on the PH Balance Facebook page the paedophile hunters branded the sentence ‘laughable’.

They said within three weeks of his arrest he was again trying to contact an underage girl and because of his aggressive attitude in chats they nicknamed him “bullyboy”.