A TORFAEN husband arranged to meet an underage schoolgirl - only to be caught by a paedophile hunting group.

Mark Pritchard, 42, started talking to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl using a messaging app, Newport Crown Court heard today.

But Pritchard was actually talking to Sam Williams of paedophile hunting group Petronus.

Prosecutor David Pinnell said Pritchard started the communication by sending a picture of himself.

Mr Pinell said: "He introduced himself and she relayed she was 14 and made that clear from the outset. He said he was 36 but he is 42.

"In the course of that month the messages gradually became more sexual in nature."

Pritchard arranged to meet with the fictional teenager at a pub in Malpas, Newport, on July 9.

But when he turned up at the pub car park, other members of the Petronus group were in the area.

He realised something was not quite right, panicked, and left to return home to Cwmbran.

He was followed by a member of the Petronus group.

Pritchard pleaded guilty to sexual grooming and possession of a controlled Class B drug.

In his police interview Pritchard said he was "socially isolated".

Sentencing him, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You believed from the outset you were messaging a 14-year-old girl and you said you wanted to meet her.

"There was talk of having sexual intercourse and you wanted her to perform oral sex on you.

"You said you were isolated and depressed after the break down of your marriage and you got carried away with the communication between you and Sam.

"No child was actually involved but you believed you were talking with a 14-year-girl and communication took place over a long period of time."

Pritchard was jailed for a year and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register.