A SEX offender who used library computers to contact underage girls online has been jailed for two years.

Mark Chester, who had his earlier jail term slashed on appeal, was on early release from prison when he started contacting the youngsters as young as 11 years old.

The 39-year-old was jailed in 2013 after he contacted an 11-year-old boy via his XBox and encouraged him to engage in sex acts while he was on a web cam.

Although he got four-and-a-half years it was cut to just four years after judges at the Court of Appeal felt he had not been given enough credit for pleading guilty.

The former Burger King worker was also put on a sexual offences prevention order which restricted his liberty to contact children.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that a former colleague of Chester alerted the police last summer after he contacted her on Facebook.

She told officers that it was clear he was following young girls on social media, knowing it breached the restriction.

When police went to his home they could not find any computers and he revealed he had been using library hardware to get on Instagram and WhatsApp.

Mr Welling said he was following 96 people, at least seven of which could be clearly identified from their profile as being under 16.

On social media he had used the names Mark James and James Smith, Mr Welling said.

Chester, formerly of Buckland Close, pleaded guilty to seven counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

As well as the 2013 matter he was also convicted the year before of texting a 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook and trying to get her to exchange nude photos.

Richard Williams, defending, said that his client had been returned to prison to serve the rest of his sentence and would not now be released until October. He said his client had psychiatric issues.

Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “I have to sentence you for seven offences each of being in breach of a sexual offences prevention order which was made back in 2013.”