A PAEDOPHILE was spared jail only to be caught once again by an undercover officer trying to meet underage girls.

Dean Briggs confessed to police that he is attracted to young girls after he was caught sending explicit messages to profiles online.

The 50-year-old, of Tickfield Avenue, Southend, was given a sexual harm prevention order and a suspended sentence last year for identical offences.

But between February 23 and March 2 this year he sent further messages to a profile claiming to be a 13-year-old girl.

When she declared her age, Briggs replied “13 is cool, I really want a young girlfriend.”

After further sexual messages were sent to the profile, police decided to arrest Briggs, and he was taken into custody on March 11.

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His home was searched and phones were seized, which were found to have their history removed and messages wiped, which Briggs was banned from doing by his court order.

He later admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court.

Mitigating, Cathryn Sutcliffe said: “He has accepted that he does have a sexual attraction to children.

“We all see people coming before these courts saying anything but having a sexual attraction to children.

“It means Mr Briggs can be properly rehabilitated.”

Ms Sutcliffe said that Briggs would no longer have a smart phone when released from prison, and that he would only use the internet from his nearest library.

Recorder Leslie Cuthbert, sitting at Basildon Crown Court, gave Briggs a three-year community order with 60 days of rehabilitation.