A man who travelled from Manchester to abuse an eight year-old girl in Meopham is starting a six year prison sentence.

Phillip Matthews, 38, and previously of Whitefield in Manchester, travelled from his home to Baker Street in London on 14 March to meet with a woman he had been chatting with over the internet regarding carrying out acts of sexual abuse against a child.

Matthews sent various communications to the woman via email, chat rooms and telephone, explaining in great detail the acts that he would like to commit upon the girl.

He also made suggestions around giving the girl some alcohol beforehand.

When Matthews arrived in London on March 14 the meeting was interrupted by detectives from the Kent Police child exploitation investigation team, who were aware of his intentions and arrested Matthews on suspicion of arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Matthews pleaded guilty to the offence and on May 14 was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to six years in custody.

An indefinite sexual offences prevention order was imposed, and Matthews will appear on the sex offender register for life.

Detective Inspector David Shipley said: "Matthews knew exactly what he was doing when he travelled from Manchester to meet someone in order to abuse an eight year-old child.

"His protestations after arrest that he merely wanted to tell this individual to stop ruining the child’s life shows that he knows full well the impact that such abuse can have.

"There are a number of ways he could help children, and it starts by not engaging in such vile behaviour in the first place.

"I am glad that once again the child exploitation investigation team has been able to make Kent a safer place for children by bringing to justice another individual who had every intention of abusing a child in this county."