Man jailed for child grooming after undercover sting

Bartosz Zaczek also wanted to meet a fictional 12-year-old cousin of the respondent

A man who believed he was sending sexually explicit messages to a 13-year-old girl has been jailed after an undercover police investigation.

Bartosz Zaczek sent the "distressing and disturbing" messages before trying to meet the recipient, who was actually an undercover police officer.

He arrived to be met by officers, who promptly arrested him last May.

The 23-year-old, of St Annes, Lancashire, has been jailed for four years and two months.

Zacek sent messages and photographs over a month and also encouraged his supposed target to get her "12-year-old cousin" to meet him, Preston Crown Court heard.

In June, he told his boss he was running an errand but instead travelled to meet the recipient in Blackburn, where officers were waiting for him.

Det Con Nicola Long, of Lancashire Police, said: "The chat transcript makes for some distressing and disturbing reading so I am satisfied with the sentence Zaczek has been given, which reflects the danger he presents to teenage girls."

Zaczek pleaded guilty to a range of offences including attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

An order has also made for his phone to be destroyed and he will be monitored by authorities after his jail term.

Det Con Long said: "The public may not see the undercover work that goes on, but it is always going on.

"If anybody has concerns about an individual, I would always encourage them to contact the police in the first instance."