A convicted paedophile who arranged to meet a mum of two at the Ashford Designer Outlet in the hope of having sex with her children has been sentenced to nine years and four months.

Ryan Shuman exchanged emails and text messages with the woman, in which he spoke of his sexual interest in her daughter, aged nine, and seven-year-old son.

But Maidstone Crown Court heard the 41-year-old was in fact communicating with an undercover cop posing on the internet as the mum with fictitious children.

Shuman was arrested after he met “Rebecca”, as she was known to him, at the McArthurGlen shopping centre in Kimberley Way, Ashford, in September.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said he later told police that he was prepared that day to have sex with both children and perform other sexual acts.

She said: “He said he was attracted to children because of their innocence.”

Shuman, of Stanstead Road, Lewisham, admitted two offences of arranging a child sex offence.

The court heard he has previous convictions for indecent assault, gross indecency with a child and possession of indecent images.

Assessing that Shuman poses a significant risk of serious harm and is therefore dangerous in the legal sense, Recorder Mark van der Zwart imposed what is known as an extended sentence.

Shuman was told he would serve at least two-thirds of a five year and four months’ jail term before becoming eligible for parole and then, once released, four years on licence.

“It is plain you have had a great difficulty in controlling your sexual urges and have been committing sexual offences for many years,” said the judge.

“I am quite satisfied that had Rebecca and her children been real you would have committed a further offence against a child, that of rape.”

Shuman was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order in relation to his use of the internet, and must sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.