A PAEDOPHILE former policeman has been jailed after he tried to meet a child for sex.

Glenn Jones travelled 50 miles from his home to go to Shoreham in the expectation of abusing the child.

But when he arrived at a shopping centre in the town, he was instead greeted by officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Jones had reached the rank of Inspector with Thames Valley Police.

But he was disgraced in 2015 after being convicted of making indecent images of children and was put on the sex offenders register for ten years.

Now he faces three-and-a-half years in prison, with a further period on licence after being sentenced at Guildford Crown Court.

The organised crime unit investigated his behaviour and found that between August 6 and September 26 last year, he had spent “significant time” planning and arranging the meeting.

He tried to claim he was just “curious”, but a jury was unanimous in its verdict of intending to commit sexual offences.

Detective Inspector Emily Evans, who led the investigation, said: “Jones had travelled a significant distance from his home in Kent with the full intention of meeting a child to abuse them.

“It is clear that he has not learned from his previous conviction, and I am therefore pleased that he has been handed a custodial sentence reflective of his abhorrent intentions.

“Child abuse is one of the most repugnant crimes we deal with, and I’d like to reassure everyone that reports of this nature will always be investigated fully and sensitively, regardless of the current or past profession of the parties involved.”

Jones, 56, of Tutsham Way in Tonbridge, Kent, was found guilty at trial last month, and was sentenced this week.

He was jailed, and remains under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention order indefinitely.