A FORMER army chef who thought he was meeting an 11-year-old girl for sex but was actually the subject of an internet sting has been jailed.

Connor Lane, 24, who lives in High Easter on the outskirts of Chelmsford, was apprehended by members of vigilante gang Internet Interceptors when he stepped out of his car to meet a girl at McDonalds in Brentwood High Street in March last year.

Following a two-day trial at Basildon Crown Court in December, he was found guilty by a jury of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The court heard that he had sent sexual messages to the account, believing her to be a schoolgirl.

It was also revealed that his army career was in tatters since his conviction.

Sentencing at Basildon Crown Court yesterday, Judge John Lodge told Lane: “You took advantage of social media to meet up with someone who you believed to be a very young child indeed, aged about 11 or 12.

“You engaged in detailed communication with her over social media.

“It was abundantly clear that she was very young and sexually inexperienced and you created with her a fantasy of what you were going to do, including penetrative sex.

“It matters not that it was a sting.

“I bear in mind that your army career is now over.”

Judge Lodge jailed Lane for 30 months, half of which will spent in prison and the other half on licence.

Lane will appear on the sexual offender register for life and be the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.