A 60-YEAR-OLD man from Cirencester who was caught sexting a 13-year-old girl in a paedophile sting has avoided a jail term.

The 'girl' that Michael Murray was sexting between November 25 and December 19 in 2022 was actually an adult member of a vigilante group who was posing as an under age child called Summer, Gloucester Crown Court was told on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Susan Cavender told the court that Murray, of Arnolds Way, Cirencester, spoke to Summer under the username Angel2163 and asked how old she was.

She answered that she was 13 and he told her she was a 'fit, sexy babe' and encouraged her to perform sexual acts on herself while he masturbated.

This exchange was recorded by the vigilante group and members then went to Murray's home on December 18 to confront him with the evidence and make a citizen's arrest on his doorstep.

Police officers arrived later on and arrested Murray.

Murray pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity and making a Category C indecent photograph of a child.

Judge Rupert Lowe sentenced Murray to a three-year community order with 60 rehabilitation activity days at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday, April 16.

Murray was also fined £200 and must pay £300 in costs.

The judge told him: "You spent time on the internet looking for a young girl to talk dirty to, found Summer and started to communicate with her.

"You were telling her she was pretty and then moved on quickly on to sexual matters. You were getting pleasure from imagining having sex with children.

"If I see you here again I will remember you Mr Murray and I will send you to prison next time. "

The court heard that Murray had no previous convictions of a similar nature but had accepted a police caution in 2020 for having an indecent image.

Graham Wallis, defending, said Murray has health problems and has not worked since 1999 because of them.

The judge asked whether Murray could do some unpaid work for the community but Mr Wallis referred him to medical reports and said that would not be possible.