A man who was arrested as a result of a paedophile sting during which he had sexual conversations with a fictitious schoolgirl has been jailed for 42 months.

Sentencing Joseph Williams, Recorder Paul Garlick said he had a public duty to pass an immediate prison sentence for such a serious offence.

Williams, 27, now of Lampits Hill, Stanford-Le-Hope, admitted attempting to incite a ten-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, three offences of making indecent images of children and one offence of distributing indecent images of children.

In addition to being jailed he was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

Ipswich Crown Court court heard that experts who analysed Williams’ mobile phone found one indecent image and six videos in the most serious level A category, nine category B indecent images and 19 images in the lowest level C category.

Simon Gladwell for Williams, who formerly lived in Suffolk, said the charge of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity didn’t involve a real child.

He said that since the offences which were committed in 2019 Williams had attended a sex offenders’ treatment programme and had made huge progress.