A Plymouth sex offender has been caged after he was caught out three times by online paedophile hunters.
Scott Coombes, aged 29, thought he was sending sex messages to underage girls – when in fact he was in contact with decoys used by the groups.
Devon-based UK Database and Justice for the Innocent arranged a meeting at Paignton train station.
The paedophile hunters have revealed that they chased him for several minutes before he was cornered and questioned.
Police were called and later found Coombes had been exchanging sexual messages with a real girl.
Coombes was yesterday jailed for two years and four months at Exeter Crown Court.
Living in Torbay at the time of the offences, he had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of actual communication and three of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, one of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and one of breaching a Sexual Offending Prevention Order.
Coombes, from Peters Park Lane, Barne Barton, was banned from any contact with children because he is a registered sex offender who has posed as a teenage girl while exchanging indecent images in the past.
He was caught by a sting operation mounted by the Devon-based groups UK Database and Justice for the Innocent in which their volunteers posed as under aged girls in online chat rooms.
Members created decoy profiles in the names of Kate, Emma, and Sarah-Jane and recorded the chat logs as Coombes exchanged sexualised messages or sent them indecent images.
Coombes received a 15-month suspended sentence at the 2013 hearing, where he was also ordered to attend a sex offenders' treatment course.
UK Database and Justice for the Innocent said on Facebook that Coombes had made contact with the “girls” in July and August last year.
The group said: “Throughout the chat, Coombes made it clear he wanted to engage the child into sexual activity, which culminated in Coombes arranging to meet the girl at Paignton train station.
“However, unbeknown to Coombes, paedophile hunting team 'UK database' were waiting for him to appear.
“After a chase which lasted several minutes, the team apprehended Coombes and questioned him on his past offending and current online activity. The police were called and Coombes was arrested.
“Police seized his computers and mobile phones and during that search they discovered Coombes had been grooming a real schoolgirl for sex. The childs parents were informed and the girl was safeguarded from further harm.”
Coombes was also made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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