A PAEDOPHILE who brought Haribo sweets, condoms and a blanket to a woodland meeting with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been jailed for more than two years.

Michael Andrews had struck up a conversation with the teen on social media network Kik – a messenger app beloved of under-16s.

But the 13-year-old “girl” with whom Andrews exchanged increasingly explicit messages was no child. She was, in fact, a police officer working alongside the regional organised crime unit.

On Friday, Swindon Crown Court heard that over seven weeks Melksham man Andrews set about grooming the girl online. Their conversation, which began in early July 2019, quickly became sexual.

Andrews invited the teen to perform sexual acts on herself. He talked about the girl performing vile acts on him. And he even sent her images of his genitalia.

He told her he would dig out an old Samsung Galaxy mobile phone for her and fit it with a new sim card so they could talk undisturbed.

The paedophile urged the youngster to keep their conversations secret. Judge Peter Crabtree said: “There are repeated comments to the effect of keeping your communication secret through much of your contact.”

Andrews attempted to set up meetings with the girl. There was talk of meeting her for a coffee in town before “sneaking into a changing room”. He told her he would buy a blanket in preparation for their meeting, then sent her a picture of the rug.

On August 8 he drove his work van to woodland off Sandy Lane, Chippenham. In the back of his vehicle was the mobile phone he had promised the girl, a blanket, condoms and Haribo sweets.

Andrews, of Clover Close, Melksham, pleaded guilty to four charges including attempting to engage a child in sexual activity and attempting to encourage a child to watch a sexual act.

Clare Fear, defending, said her client had entered early guilty pleas, was of previous good character, remorseful and the impact of his offending on his family had been significant.

Sentencing Andrews to 27 months imprisonment, Judge Crabtree said: “This was grooming over seven weeks and involved encouragement of a girl who you thought was 13 to [perform a sex act on herself].”

Andrews will be subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign on to the sex offenders’ register for a decade.