PAEDOPHILE hunters caught an “inadequate” man asking for sexual pictures of an underage teenage girl.

Dale Moseling suggested meeting the fake girl called Jodie, in a hotel in Uckfield

The Defending the Innocent group had set up the fake social media account, and Moseling made contact with it.

When asked by the police, the pervert denied that he had any intention of meeting the 13-year-old for sex, or that he had exchanged sexual messages.

But at Hove Crown Court he admitted one count of being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Heather Stangoe, prosecuting, said Moseling, 25, was originally arrested in October 2018 over the offence.

He had asked crude sexual favours of the 13-year-old girl while apparently pleasuring himself.

Moseling then tried to silence the girl by telling her not to tell anyone about the chats on Whatsapp.

His Honour Judge Stephen Mooney asked the prosecutor if the paedophile hunters group had in any way incited the crime.

He said groups can often “inevitably target the most vulnerable or inadequate individuals that would commit this sort of offence”.

But Ms Stangoe said the profile set up for the fake 13-year-old was dormant, and Moseling made the first move.

The judge said the case had taken more than two years to come before the courts and described Moseling, formerly of The Drive, Uckfield, as a “deeply inadequate young man”.

He said Moseling would have to work with the probation service and complete 35 rehabilitation sessions.

“Whatever the reasons why people put this information up there to encourage people like you, the choice is ultimately yours,” the judge said.

He said Moseling is “not without his difficulties” but said Moseling must learn his lesson by attending the sessions to address his behaviour.

“If you don’t do those things, you will come back to court in front of me,” the judge said. “You will then be a great risk of going to prison. This order is to help you, don’t throw it back in my face.”