A Wembley man locked up after web vigilantes caught him grooming a fictitious teenager for sex has had his sentence backed by top judges.

Irfan Jan, 21, was arrested and prosecuted after campaigners set up a honey trap to snare online sexual predators.

They created a bogus profile for a girl called “Chloe”, who Jan bombarded with “sexually explicit” messages.

The profile suggested that Chloe was 18, London's Appeal Court heard, but when Jan contacted her she “revealed” that she was 13.

The case was heard at the Court of Appeal (Photo - Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Justice Dove said: “There followed some 96 pages of messaging between Jan and Chloe.

“He made a number of repeated sexually explicit suggestions to her about what he would like to do to her.”

Jan’s messages made clear he wanted to have full sex with Chloe, and to “take her virginity”.

They swapped photos and plans were made for them to meet up for sex in Bromley, the court heard.

Jan travelled to the illicit rendezvous, but “when he arrived he was confronted by vigilantes and arrested by the police”.

He was sentenced to 17 months detention at Croydon Crown Court in March.

He admitted arranging or facilitating a child sexual offence and attempting to meet a child under 16 after grooming.

Jan, of Kinch Grove, challenged his sentence in the Appeal Court, claiming it failed to reflect his youth and guilty pleas.

His legal team argued the sentence should have been suspended.

But Mr Justice Dove said: “We can see no basis on which we can interfere with the sentencing judge's exercise of discretion.”

Sitting with two other judges, he concluded: “The application must be dismissed.”