A PAEDOPHILE tried to abduct a 13-year-old schoolgirl after driving around the streets in his car.

Richard Hulme, 27, from Blaenavon offered his victim money and drugs in return for sex while prowling in Abergavenny last summer.

The defendant had lied about his age and told the girl he was just 17 as he sought to persuade her to get into his vehicle.

“Through sheer coincidence” he had approached the victim’s mother earlier on the same day and that was how he ended up being caught.

Hulme was found guilty by a jury following a trial of attempted child abduction and inciting a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

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The offences took place on Friday, July 7, 2023.

The defendant said in evidence that he had only been “looking for female company”.

Hilary Roberts representing Hulme said: “Mitigation is slim but he has no previous convictions.

“He was in a relationship at the time but that fell apart as a result of these allegations.”

His barrister added: “This is an unusual case in a way because, as pointed out by the Crown, he was in a car and he was driving the streets of Abergavenny and there were three other people targeted I suppose by his attentions.

“That in itself may be a worrying feature of his behaviour, but the other side of that coin is that it demonstrates that he wasn't specifically targeting children.

“Indeed one of them was the victim's mother.”

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant told Hulme: “On July 7, 2023 you were driving around the streets of Abergavenny approaching females and endeavouring to engage them in conversation.

“You said in evidence that you were looking for female company.”

He added: “It seems to me that the jury accepted that you offered (the victim) money and drugs for sex.

“You claimed to be 17 years of age and there was evidence that you gave her a false name.

“Through sheer coincidence you had on the same day approached her mother and it was this that led to you being caught.

“It appears from the pre-sentence report there is still some denial on your part that the intention you harboured was one of sexual intercourse.”

Hulme was jailed for four years and told he would serve half of that sentence in custody before being released on licence.

The defendant, formerly of Trem Y Mynydd, will have to register as a sex offender for life and he was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.