AN IRISHMAN who travelled to Britain with the intention of meeting a 13-year-old girl for sex has been jailed.
Declan Power, 58, from Dundalk, Co. Louth, was instead met by organisers of an online sting operation when he arrived in Barnstaple, Devon, on July 14 this year.
The group was behind a fake Facebook profile for a 13-year-old girl named Charlotte that was used to snare Power, who was later arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police.
At Exeter Crown Court on Monday, Power was sentenced to two years and four months in prison for attempting to meet a child following grooming and attempted sexual communications with a child.
The Irish Times reports that when caught, Power had condoms in his luggage and return flights to Dublin for both himself and the girl.
It adds that he first contacted the fake profile on June 13 and continued communicating with 'Charlotte' about his plans, despite her age being made clear from the outset.
