A PERVERT took a razor and condoms to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl outside Morrisons.

When he arrived at the Chippenham supermarket, Bristolian Waseem Hafeez was confronted by members of paedophile hunter group PH Balance.

Sparing him an immediate jail spell, Recorder Barry Mcelduff told the out-of-work IT consultant: “If there was a child you’d be going to prison – and to prison for a long time. If you didn’t plead guilty you’d be going to prison. If you had convictions on your record you’d be going to prison. The opportunity that I’m giving you today is not one you’ll be given again.”

Prosecutor Hannah Squire told Swindon Crown Court "hunter" group PH Balance set up a social media profile for a fictional 14-year-old girl.

The decoy profile was contacted by 32-year-old Hafeez. He swapped sexually explicit messages with the “girl” and arranged to meet her at Morrisons in July last year.

Ms Squire said the defendant had expressed suspicions that the social media profile was genuine. “But it didn’t stop him turning up at address the expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl. It goes a little bit further than that. He turned up at that meeting with a razor and a packet of condoms. The razor refers to some of the messages that refer to shaving intimate parts.”

Hafeez, of Totterdown, Bristol, admitted attempting to arrange the facilitation of a sexual offence and attempted sexual communication with a child.

Nicholas Clough, defending, said at the time of the offences he was experiencing difficulties in his marriage and with his finances.

Sentencing Hafeez to a three year community order, Recorder Mcelduff said: “You may have had your suspicions but notwithstanding that you went to that meeting with condoms and a razor and it’s entirely clear from the material before me that the razor as well as the condoms were taken with you with a view to use them in sexual activity.”

He must complete 220 hours of unpaid work, up to 30 rehabilitation activity days and pay £500 costs. He was made subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and must sign onto the sex offenders’ register for five years.