A WREXHAM man has been jailed after 'persistent' attempts to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Michael Foster of Ffordd Glyn appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, June 13.

The 30-year-old had previously - at Wrexham Magistrates Court on May 20 - pleaded guilty to a count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The SHPO, to last 10 years, had been imposed upon him in July 2022 when he was handed a suspended sentence for offences of a similar nature.

Rosemary Proctor, prosecuting, told the court that the offending in question this time around had taken place between April 22 and May 18 of this year.

Foster had begun chatting via Facebook to who he believed was a 13-year-old girl, but was in fact a member of a vigilante group posing as one.

The defendant began by telling the decoy that she had 'beautiful eyes' and sent fully-clothed pictures of himself to her.

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In what was described by Ms Proctor as 'serious and persistent' offending, Foster then began to ask the 'girl' if they could arrange 'dates' and offered to buy her 'sweets and cuddly toys'.

Conversations continued until mid-May when the vigilante group confronted Foster at his Wrexham address in a move that could have caused 'public disorder', Judge Nicola Saffman said.

Fears for the defendant's safety arose and North Wales Police were called to the scene soon after.

Emma Simoes, defending Foster, said that he 'accepts full responsibility' for his actions and 'understand he shouldn't have done what he did'.

The court also heard that the defendant, who previously served in the British Army, suffered from mental health issues and had also had issues with drugs.

Sentencing Foster, Judge Saffman said that the vigilante group who caught him out should have 'taken their evidence to the police first to avoid public disorder'.

The Judge took the breach of the SHPO as the lead offence and Foster was handed a two-year sentence for this.

He received a further eight months for the attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child charge, to run concurrently.