A PAEDOPHILE sent messages saying “I would love to see you”, “I want to see more of you” and “you are making me hard” to a 13-year-old girl called “Mia” – in fact “Mia” turned out to be an undercover operative.

Matthew Roberts, of Griffithstown, Pontypool, said he felt “disgusted” by his behaviour, however, the damage was done.

Roberts, 33, first was stung in July 2023 when he started chatting with “Mia” on various platforms over the internet.

These conversations escalated to lines such as Mia saying “I am off to bed” and sick Roberts replying “I would like to see that” and he “wished he was on the bed with her”.

Roberts also sent selfies of him in his underwear.

When he was arrested, police seized Robert’s phone where they found 46 indecent images of children – 11 in the most offensive category A.

Roberts claimed he was not sexually attracted to children, while it was described in court he was going through a difficult period in his life, with his marriage breaking down.

Roberts, of previous clean character, pleaded guilty to all charges at a PTPH hearing in March.

On sentencing at Newport Crown Court on April 30, Judge Shomon Kahn described Roberts behaviour as “horrible” and “disgusting”.

More court and crime at the Argus:

For being possession of category A indecent images of children, Roberts got 12 months in prison.

For engaging in sexual communications with a child, Roberts got a 6 month prison sentence – these two charges were made to run consecutively with each other.

For being in possession of indecent images of category B, Roberts got six months in prison, for category C, he received one month in prison – these charges were made to run concurrently with the first two charges.

In total Roberts got an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He was also made to do 120 hours unpaid work and was placed on the sexual offenders register for a period of 10 years.