Basoodeo Sujeeun, 71, from Newport, began chatting to a decoy who claimed to be an underage female named Ella but was in fact an undercover operative working with the police.

Chats over social media took place between the defendant and Ella over a two-week period in September last year in which he made sexual remarks, asked the girl to touch herself and spoke about meeting her so they could have sex.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Sujeeun had a previous conviction for arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence in 2013.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies told the court the defendant requested pictures of the girl and was sent pictures of a girl in a school uniform and lying on a bed, but he went on to ask for naked pictures.

During the conversation, the decoy said “I’m 12 but I’m not a baby” to which Sujeeun responded: “You’re a minor and you’re risky”.

Ella told the defendant she lives in Grays, Essex, and he told her he could meet up with her in London.

When she told him she was looking forward to meeting him, he responded: “I hope so, I know you want it badly you naughty girl”. He also told Ella he wanted to “break her virginity”.

Sujeeun was traced and arrested but told police he knew he was chatting to a decoy.

But the defendant, of George Street, later pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Sujeeun was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to carry out 35 sessions of a programme requirement and 30 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.