A TWENTY-six-year-old pervert who met a schoolgirl just two weeks after her 13th birthday in an internet chat-room and "groomed" her for sex, has been jailed for five years.

William Singham, of West Avenue, Southall, arranged to meet the girl in Hounslow last year.

He picked her up in his car, took her to a nearby car-park, and involved her in various sexual activities short of full sex, the court heard.

At Isleworth Crown Court, Singam denied that anything had happened between him and the youngster but a jury found him guilty of four charges of having sexual activity with a child and one of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

Prosecutor Wayne Cranston-Morris said: "On that journey she noticed immediately that the defendant looked a lot older than he was claiming to be.

"She told him I am only 13'. He asked her why she was always telling lies.

"She became very nervous."

Judge Patricia Dangor banned him from ever working with children, ordered him to sign the sex offenders' register for life, and extended his licence period by three years.

She said: "The victim was a schoolgirl of 13 years and two weeks.

"On November 23 last year you chose to enter a teenage internet website. You were not a teenager. You told the victim you were 20. That was a lie.

"She told you she was 16.

"That was a lie. You knew she was a schoolgirl.

"Telephone numbers were exchanged.

"There were three calls between you. It was clear during the trial, from her voice, that she was still a young child. You could have called a halt but you didn't."

Telephone calls in which he heard "the voice of a young child" should have alerted him to her age, the judge said, despite explicit text messages.

Judge Dangor was concerned about the risk to other young girls posed by Singam and quoted from a probation report saying: "He is of high risk in the community. It is clear he found the prospect of meeting a girl under the age of 16.

"The hope of sex between them, exciting and stimulating.

"It cannot be said with confidence that he might not repeat these acts while he remains in denial of these offences".

Singham was arrested the day after the assault when teachers were informed of what had happened by the girl's schoolfriends.

He was cleared of a charge of oral rape.