Shropshire man, 66, intended to have sex with girl, 14

A 66-year-old married Shropshire man drove to Kent to have sex with a 14-year-old girl he though he had chatted to online, a court heard.

Trevor Rhodes, of Mill Street, Wem, made the 250-mile journey after grooming the girl via internet messenger service MSN, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard yesterday. But when he arrived in Kent he discovered that the address which the girl had given to him did not exist.

Rhodes was found to have made 138 images of children on his computer, one at level five, the most serious category.

Retired Rhodes had previously admitted one charge of making indecent image and attempted meeting of a child following grooming.

Judge Peter Barrie ordered Rhodes to complete a sex offender group work programme plus 36 months of supervision on a community order. He was also told to sign the sex offender register for five years.

Mr Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting, said in August and September 2010 Rhodes had started talking online to someone he believed was 14 and from Kent. The conversations were 'highly sexualised' and Rhodes made plans to meet her for sex.

Computer records showed Rhodes queried the address when he could not find it and got a reply saying the address was a new build.

Mr Beardwell said sat nav records from his car showed he had made the journey and Rhodes contacted the correspondent afterwards saying he was angry he had driven a nine-hour round trip for 'absolutely nothing'.

Mr Beardwell said: "The Crown does not know who the girl is or how old she is.

"It was not an organised police operation."

Rhodes told police his digital footprint was the fault of rogue software.

Ms Sarah Buckingham, for Rhodes, said her client was a carer for his wife.

She said: "There is no evidence that he has corrupted a living breathing child.

"He recognises what he was doing was truly appalling."