A former schools project manager from Tunbridge Wells, who admitted to grooming young girls on the internet before inciting them to commit sexual acts for him, has been jailed for more than four years.

Paul Willmott, 37, previously of Crescent Road, Tunbridge wells, was sentenced to four and a half years at Maidstone Crown Court today.

He had admitted two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two of sexual activity with a child, causing a child to be involved in pornography and causing a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of taking indecent images of children and two counts of making indecent images of children.

At the end of a hearing in December at Maidstone Crown Court, he asked the judge not to bail him and was remanded in custody until sentencing.

The court heard how in February a police warrant was carried out at his then home in Tunbridge Wells, after the father of a girl he had been abusing contacted the police, when he discovered texts between them on her phone.

Police found evidence of his crimes on his seized computers, including evidence that he had used a photo of a teenage boy that wasn’t him during internet chats with his victims.

Judge Andrew Statman sentenced him to four and a half years in prison and also gave him a 10 year sexual prevention order and he will have to sign on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigating officer DC Michael Brown of Kent Police said: "Willmott initially presented as a respectable individual with a responsible job. However, as the investigation continued it became apparent that he led a secret life where he would engage in sexual activity with teenage girls both online and, ultimately, in person. I would like to acknowledge the bravery of the victims in talking about these crimes, and enabling this man to be brought to justice, thereby potentially protecting even more children. Chat rooms can be dangerous for children and parents should take steps to protect their children."

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