A paedophile began grooming what he thought were young girls online just weeks after getting out of prison for similar offending.
Charles Dale Miller sent pictures of his penis to someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl and even booked a hotel room for a rendezvous using a secret smartphone the authorities knew nothing about.
But the 53-year-old was in fact communicating with a paedophile hunter group who later confronted him in the street and detained him until police arrived.
Giving him an extended sentence when he was jailed on Monday a judge said he had no doubt Miller was a dangerous offender.
Swansea Crown Court heard that in November 2018 Miller was sentenced to two years in prison and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for attempting to incident young girls to engage in sexual activity. He was released in August this year but within weeks was reoffending.
Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said Miller had a number of phones which he had notified the authorities about and which were available for inspection by the police. But he also had a secret phone he had told nobody about.
The court heard Miller contacted what he believed were girls aged 12 and 13 on social media chat rooms.
The profiles of the girls were in reality "decoys" which had been created and were being operated by members of a group called the Elusive Child Protection Unit. Mr Rouch said Miller soon began sending the decoys sexually explicit messages.
He also sent intimate photographs of himself to who he believed to be a 12-year-old girl and talked about meeting the youngsters for sex.
The prosecutor said Miller also booked a hotel room in Cardiff for two nights.
The court heard on October 9 this year members of the paedophile hunters group travelled to Swansea and confronted him in the street before calling the police.
Watch the confrontation:
Miller, of The Strand, Swansea , admitted three counts of attempting to incite girls to engage in sexual activity and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
Ian Ibrahim, for Miller, said the defendant led an "isolated and extremely lonely life" in the community and regretted what he had done. He said Miller had "very obvious difficulties" in talking to people.
Judge Paul Thomas QC said he regarded the fact Miller had booked a hotel room as "sinister" and he had no doubt the defendant should be considered a dangerous offender.
Giving Miller a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to an extended sentence of eight years and four months comprising three years and four months in custody and an extended five-year licence. He can apply for parole after serving two-thirds of the custodial element but will only be let out if he is no longer considered a risk.
Miller was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to the internet and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
