A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed for three years after he was caught up in a 'paedophile hunter' style sting – for the second time.

Former soldier Anthony Lee Nendrick thought he was talking to a 13-year-old girl when he sent her a video of him performing a sex act and asking her to send one back.

However, Nendrick was talking to an adult woman who got the pervert to send her his address where he was confronted by a members of the vigilante team and later arrested by the police.

Teesside Crown Court heard that in September 2014, the defendant propositioned a schoolgirl online, despite repeatedly being told by the girl that his advances were not welcome.

On that occasion Nendick admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at an earlier hearing and received a fine.

However, in January this year he was caught in the first sting when he subsequently pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual activity with an child and attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity.

Jo Kidd, prosecuting, said the 36-year-old, formerly of Manor Grove, Colburn, was given a 16-month sentence at York Crown Court.

She said within a short period of his release the defendant was again using social media to talk to teenage girls and again he was caught in a 'sting' by a decoy.

Miss Kidd said Nendrick, who was representing himself in court, had pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity and a breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Nendrick was given a chance to enter his own mitigation by Judge Deborah Sherwin but he declined.

He also declined the opportunity to read his pre-sentence report outlining the impact of the post traumatic stress disorder that he suffers as a result of his time in the Army.

The judge sentenced Nendrick, now of Laurel Street, Middlesbrough, to two years for the first charge and a consecutive one year sentence for the SHPO breach in September this year.

The defendant was also given an indefinite SHPO and an indefinite order to notify authorities of his movements.

She said: "I think this is a case where the public need the reassurance that he will be watched when he is released."