A Norfolk child groomer who was attempting to meet-up for sex with girls under 16 was caught by a group of paedophile hunters, a court heard.

Adam Greenacre, 35, thought he was having sex chats with nine girls aged 12 to 14 but in fact they were adult volunteers from paedophile hunter groups, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Brian Reece, prosecuting, said Greenacre soon turned the conversation to sexual matters with the girls, despite being told how young they were.

Mr Reece said more disturbingly he also expressed an interest in a couple of conversations of meeting with their younger sisters.

Mr Reece said the 'victims' were in fact all adult volunteers; 'They were volunteer members of groups which devote their spare time to helping make arrests of people like Greenacre so as to keep children safe from online predators.'

He said Greenacre had no idea what was going on: 'He even gave his correct address and postcode to one the volunteers and his own phone number. He clearly did not know that he was being targeted himself.'

Mr Reece said Greenacre had a previous conviction for a similar matter when he had tried to meet two 13 year-old girls in Dereham for sex after meeting them on Facebook, and said he committed the new offences just weeks after his suspended sentence order finished.

Greenacre, of Fieldfare Way, Swaffham, admitted nine counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity between November 2017 and January this year.

Jailing him for 32 months and placing him on the sex offender's register for life, Judge Katharine Moore said Greenacre posed a high risk of re-offending and said that despite being given a chance before he had re-offended.

'The offences are very much more serious because you have offended in this way before. You were given a chance and have not learned from it.'

She said his offences were of 'deep concern' and also made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Danielle O'Donovan said the offences were all attempts and no actual child was ever spoken to.

She said Greenacre had a number of difficulties and was vulnerable.