Paedophile pensioner drove 200 miles to West Yorkshire with gifts for children he had planned to sexually abuse

William Smith travelled from his home in Wiltshire thinking he was meeting a man in a pub who had two children with him.

They had met over the internet weeks before and arranged for Smith to drive to Wakefield to sexually abuse the youngsters.

When the 68-year-old arrived at a pub in the city he was met by police who informed him he was the target of a sting operation.

Katherine Robinson, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that Smith thought he had been talking to another paedophile online by the name of 'Mark', who was actually an undercover police officer.

The officer told Smith he had two children - a boy aged 12 and a girl aged 10 - who he had abused himself.

Smith even phoned 'Mark' on the day of the meeting to say he had set off from his home on Oak Close, in the town of Tidworth.

The defendant then phoned him again to say he was struggling to find the pub when he reached Wakefield.

Smith eventually found the pub, but was promptly arrested. He admitted he had even brought gifts for the two fictitious youngsters.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of arranging to abuse children.

Kate Batty, mitigating, said Smith was candid about his sexual feelings towards children, saying he had them for most of his adult life.

She said: "It's not often defendants admit this. He accepts his sexual interest towards children and that is something to work with."

The defendant claimed his involvement would have been diminished because they had been abused before.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "It's apparent that most of your life you have had a sexual interest in children, and until this year appeared not to have acted on it.

"It's very troubling to read that you have little or no insight into the effect that this abuse would have on children.

"You did not think it would cause any greater harm because they had already been abused."

A sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), to monitor his behaviour on his release, is to be arranged at a later date.