AN INTERNET pervert caught by a vigilante group had continued with his activities online, undeterred, even after police had arrested him.

A judge at Caernarfon crown court in North Wales heard on Thursday when Peter Kendal, 61, of Maes Emlyn, Rhyl, formerly of Wrexham and a hotel worker in Kensington, London, was jailed for 12 months.

He pleaded guilty to trying to incite children to engage in sexual activity online and attempting to communicate sexually with a girl. Kendal must register as a sex offender for ten years and a sexual harm prevention order was made for the same period.

Judge Niclas Parry told him: "You were persistent, you were determined, clearly prepared to cause harm to very young girls for sexual gratification. You were so determined even after the police had called and interviewed you, you offended again.

“You were specifically targeting vulnerable young children. You lied about your age.”

Prosecuting counsel Ffion Tomos said Kendal was caught by “Keeping Kids Safe.” She said: "This case involves the defendant engaging in sexual conversations with who he believed to be three different children.”

A woman member of the vigilante group had posed as a girl of 13 on a social networking site for people wanting to make friends in their local area. Kendal had pretended he was 21 on the Nearby site and WhatsApp Messenger.

“He asked her to send photographs of herself to him including of her private parts and directed her to remove her clothing,” Miss Tomos said. “He was told repeatedly during the conversations she was only 13. He replied age was ‘just a number."

Kendal was also in touch with another member of the vigilante group who set up a fake profile and the chat turned sexual.

The prosecutor said, in August, vigilantes turned up at Kendal’s Wrexham home but he refused to answer the door. Police forced entry and arrested him.

But while being probed, in October, Kendal contacted a Nearby site user who had posed as a girl of twelve as a “sting.” He requested photographs and described in “graphic” detail what he would do to her if they met.

Simon Rogers, defending, said the case didn’t involve real children and there was a lack of previous convictions.

“This will be his first custodial sentence. A sentence of any length would be extremely difficult for him,’ Mr Rogers remarked. There was deep embarrassment and shame.