A PAEDOPHILE who attempted to meet a young girl for sex in a Malvern park had already sexually abused another child.

Christopher Postans is behind bars after sexual communication with three underage girls, one of whom he attempted to meet in Victoria Park, Malvern with a view to sexually abusing her. The 42-year-old of Longridge Road, Malvern was sentenced at Hereford Crown Court yesterday. Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, said the defendant messaged a girl of 13 on Instagram, describing a photo he believed was of her bottom as ‘a nice picture’, a comment she told him was 'inappropriate'. Postans attempted to meet her on April 16 at 11pm, telling her 'you don’t need to be scared - I just want to talk' and 'kiss me'.

The girl replied 'I'm 13 though'. Postans responded: "'Would you let me?”

Postans sent a topless photo of himself to another underage girl, also 13, which she said ‘made her feel really uncomfortable’.

Postans communicated with a third 13-year-old girl about ‘being naughty and smacking bums’, sending her his topless photo. However, the first victim, the one Postans had tried to meet in the park, told her father what had been happening, police were called and the defendant was arrested. In interview Postans made ‘limited admissions’ but denied any sexual motivation.

In 2003 Postans met with a 14-year-old girl he had contacted via an internet chat room, having penetrative sex with her.

The defendant, sentenced in 2005, received a community rehabilitation order and later breached the notification requirements. Mr Watkins said the defendant’s attempt to meet the child carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison with a range available of between one and four years.

Sam Lamsdale, for Postans, said her client was ‘realistic' but asked that he be given credit for his early guilty pleas.

Miss Lamsdale said the father-of-two had provided for his family, working for a local landscape gardener near Pershore but that his savings may be ‘wiped out’ during his incarceration. He had been diagnosed with depression four years ago and had been prescribed Sertraline. Miss Lamsdale said the defendant’s mother was ‘very supportive’ but ‘obviously very distressed’. “It’s caused her difficulties in her local community” said Miss Lamsdale who described her client as ‘remorseful’. She also said his children missed him.

Recorder Jason MacAdam said: “This is familiar territory for you. You have done this sort of thing before some considerable time ago.

“You say you didn’t have anything else in mind other than a kiss. I don’t accept that. We know from the past what you have done when you do meet children” said the judge.

He added: “The fact is you’re a paedophile. You’re sexually attracted to children. I have no doubt whatsoever if you had met any of these children you would have abused them in the same way you abused your victim in the past.”

The judge jailed him for 27 months, imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered him to sign the sex offender register for the same period.

“I feel terribly sorry for this man’s children and his mother. We all know how cruel children can be” said the judge.