A FATHER with a “compulsion to have sex with young girls” has been jailed after being snared by a group of so-called paedophile hunters.

Tony Jones, 55, of Southchurch Road, Southend was caught having sexualised conversations with an adult who was posing as a child.

He was jailed at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Prosecuting, Jose Olivares-Chandler, said: “It started on January 10 this year, when a decoy was messaged by the defendant and it quickly descended into sexual communications.

“The girl identified herself as being 14 and he had also been speaking with a girl who identified herself as 12 in a sexualised manner online.

“On January 21 the police had a call from a decoy to say they had detained him at his home and police arrived and he was arrested after evidence was handed over to the officers.

“He had two previous convictions for abduction of a child aged 15 dating back to 2006. He gave her a mobile phone and arranged to remove her from foster care twice.”

Mitigating, David Baird, told the court Jones didn’t know where his offending came from and suffers health issues.

He said: “He regrets what he did and is highly remorseful. Most of his chats online were with adults and not sexualised at all.

“There were no threats and no attempt to disguise his identity. There was no meeting and he did not travel to go and meet these people.

“The previous convictions are some time ago and he’s lived with isolation, loneliness and even boredom in the pandemic lockdowns. He also lost his mother in November which would have impacted his behaviour.”

Sentencing Jones, Judge Samantha Cohen, said: “This was aggressive, manipulative, deviant sexual behaviour and fortunately both of them were adults.

“You seek to minimise your actions in the presentence report by saying you are not sexually attracted to children, and this is self delusional and impossible to believe.

“It’s clear to me you have a compulsion to have sex with young girls and you acted in a predatory manner.”

Jones admitted two counts of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence and attempting to incite a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison and five years on an extended licence.