AN ACCOUNTANT who thought he was grooming a 13-year-old girl for sex was talking to an undercover police officer, a court heard.

Gordon Hazell was in "constant" contact with the "girl" for six weeks and arranged to meet her.

After being told she lived in Chichester, Hazell arranged a meeting, took time off work and booked a train ticket.

As he prepared to leave, he was arrested and swore at police before saying: "I have no interest in my own kids, you need have no concerns over them. Everything is on my phone."

Prosecuting, Sadie Rizzo told Bournemouth Crown Court Hazell, 43, of Southern Road, Bournemouth, made no attempt to conceal his age and made clear his intention to have full sexual intercourse with the girl.

Police also discovered he had more than 1,200 indecent images and videos of children, some as young as four-years-old, and was also in possession of extreme pornography.

He was jailed for a total of four years after admitting one charge of attempting to facilitate a child sex offence, seven of making indecent images of children and one of possession of extreme pornography.

The court heard he was in contact with the undercover officer from mid-May until early July.

Miss Rizzo told the court: "He initiated the contact. He found her in an internet chatroom, then invited her to take part in instant messaging."

She said hundreds of the images were rated in the most serious category and the ages of children featured ranged from four to 14.

Defending, Kevin Hill said Hazell "fully accepts responsibility for his offending" and added: "He is someone who is entirely remorseful. He is acutely aware of the devastating impact that these offences have had on his family."

Judge Jonathan Fuller sentenced him to four years for attempting to facilitate a child sex offence and a further 57 months in total for the remaining charges, to run concurrently.

Detective Constable Andy Brix, of Bournemouth CID, said: "This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime.

"Children will continue to be abused and exploited because offenders such as Hazell are attempting to groom children and view indecent images.

"Dorset Police is committed and determined to bring such offenders to justice in order to protect children not only here in Dorset but across the country and abroad."