DETECTIVES have warned of the dangers of allowing children unrestricted internet access after a judge jailed a Kent man for trying to sexually exploit what he thought was a young Amercian boy.

Lawrence Horn, 35, from the Stanhope estate at Ashford, struck up an internet conversation with a `boy' called Justin. This turned out to be the cover name of Detective Mark Bucci, based with the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force in Delaware County, Philadelphia.

Sitting at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge David Croft, QC, sent Horn to prison for a total of eight months for distributing and making indecent photographs. Judge Croft reminded the court that had the offence been committed now the maximum penalty for such offences would have been 10 years rather than three.

After the case Det Con Paul Walker of Kent Police's serious crime squad said he could not stress too highly how important it was for parents of children, including teenagers, to keep an eye on what they were doing on the internet. DC Walker travelled to the United States to gather evidence for the case.

He said paedophiles used internet chat lines to prey on young children. They posed as children to do this. "I cannot emphasise enough the amount of vigilance that parents need to exercise," he stressed.

Parents could seek advice from the police on how to take precautions against such happenings. DC Walker said the case was proof of the pro-active stance being taken by police in the UK and internationally in fighting such internet crimes. Anyone perpetrating them had to be aware that they would be found out and prosecuted.

Asked what he thought of the sentence Det Con Walker said: Mr Horn's arrest came 24 hours before leglislation changed and the powers of the court were increased for offences of this nature from three years to 10, so the judge's powers of sentence were restricted."