A DAD-OF-THREE who was confronted by paedophile hunters at a Swindon Burger King has been jailed.

David Johnson, 37, was sent to prison for 18 months after he admitted attempting to groom a child and inciting sexual activity.

Swindon Crown Court heard last March he contacted a profile belonging to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl called India on social media website Chat Hour. The conversation later moved to WhatsApp.

He sent a picture of his private parts and suggested the “girl” touch herself. The married dad said he wanted to be India’s boyfriend and spoke of “taking it slowly and not doing anything she wasn’t comfortable with doing”.

Swindon Advertiser:

Johnson arranged to meet the 'girl' at Burger King Picture: DAVE COX

Prosecutor Andrew Stone told the court: “Mr Johnson was told that India was a 14-year-old girl on several occasions. He acknowledged that and gave the very strong impression that he took it seriously because he expressed concerns about vigilante groups who were there to expose paedophiles. He knew exactly what was going on.”

The pair arranged to meet. At 7pm on April 24 last year, Johnson arrived at the Burger King restaurant on Queens Drive – only to be confronted by a group of so-called paedophile hunters. The vigilante group filmed the exchange and posted it to social media.

He answered no comment to questions put to him by police officers in his interview, but soon after confessed to his wife about what had been going on.

Mr Stone acknowledged there was no evidence that Johnson had made arrangements to have sex with the “girl” when he set up the Burger King meeting, for example by booking a hotel room. But he said throughout the pair’s conversations there were “quite clear statements from him he wanted a sexual relationship”.

Johnson, of Stoford, near Salisbury, pleaded guilty to attempting to groom a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Richard Williams, defending, said his client had paid to put himself through counselling. He had lost his marriage, been forced to leave two jobs, had had to leave the family home and was living with his mother.

Footage of his apprehension by the paedophile hunter group had made its way onto the internet. While that had since been taken down by the group, the court heard, it was an “extreme source of humiliation” for Johnson.

The lawyer said his client was a man of previous good character and could be rehabilitated. He has three daughters.

Judge Peter Crabtree sentenced Johnson to 18 months imprisonment. He must abide by a sexual harm prevention order limiting his access to the internet for 10 years and sign on to the sex offenders’ register for the same length of time.