A MAN who groomed and then engaged in sexual activity with a child in Tidworth has been jailed for four years.

Paramveer Singh Jagdev, of Earley, Berkshire, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court to four years’ imprisonment for sexual activity with a child and two years, to run concurrently, for grooming a n d causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The 25-year-old was sentenced on Thursday after being found guilty last month following a fiveday trial.

In January 2012 Jagdev, aged 23 at the time, contacted two 13-year-old girls via an Internet chat room, initially saying he was a 16-year-old boy.

He used a pseudonym and bogus photos to try and prevent him from being traced.

Over a few weeks he sexually groomed them online and bombarded them with text messages and phone calls before eventually persuading them to meet him.

Jagdev committed a sexual offence against one of the girls while in Tidworth, and then threatened them both with violence when they told him to leave them alone.

DC Paula Clissold said: “Jagdev preyed on two young, vulnerable girls. He was fully aware of their age and targeted them for this reason."