A builder has been sentenced to a total of eight years imprisonment after being convicted of attempting to meet a 12-year old girl for sex.

Danny Watson, 37, a builder, of Alderbrook Close, Crowborough, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday having been found guilty that day following a trial of arranging to meet a child aged under 16 following grooming, two counts of possession of cannabis and cocaine, and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

In August last year Watson engaged in indecent on-line contact with someone he believed to be a 12-year old girl, and eventually arranged to meet her in a Brighton street.

However the person he was in contact with was in fact an adult man, who was filming the meeting. He also informed the police, who arrived and arrested Watson.

Watson was already serving a suspended sentence, having been convicted in October the previous year to possession of indecent images of children at his address.

He had been sentenced to three months imprisonment suspended for 12 months, and was also a registered sex offender for seven years.

He is now a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last until further court order, severely restricting his access to children and computers until further court order.

He was also banned for life from any work with children and young people.

Detective Constable Steve Smith said; "Watson was already a convicted sex offender less than a year previously, but clearly decided to take a chance at further offending.

"The sentence shows that the courts will take repeat offending of this type very seriously."