A paedophile who sent a ‘young girl’ images of his genitals and asked to meet her in person - despite her repeatedly telling him she was still in school - has been jailed for three years.

Adeel Gondal, 32, began messaging who he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, but was in fact a decoy account set up by an Online Child Abuse Activist Group (OCAG), on 6 November last year. Over the following weeks Gondal's messages became increasingly intimate saying things like, "No problem with sex... you will feel much pleasure my dear", despite 'her' repeatedly telling him she was 12 years old and was still in school.

Gondal arranged to meet the 'girl' on 14 December at Iceland in Lincoln Road, Peterborough, however, he was instead met by the adult decoy who called police and he was swiftly arrested.

Gondal, of Wood Ridge Crescent, was jailed for three years at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (February 5) after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Additionally he was added to the Sex Offenders register and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

T/DC Matt Lauch said: "Gondal continually spoke inappropriately to a person he thought was a young girl and fully expected to meet her on that day.

"Thankfully, it was a fake account set up to catch out offenders like him.

"The use of the internet to target children is an ongoing threat which the police take extremely seriously.

"Parents and their children should take time to consider their online and messenger app use and review their knowledge and security."

Further guidance can be found here -https://www.cambs.police.uk/information-and-services/Online-safety/Advice-for-parents