A FORMER RAF officer who used internet chat-rooms and networking sites to groom four teenage girls has been jailed.

Ex-Flight Lieutenant Nigel Fox contacted the teenage girls over a long period and infiltrated himself into their lives in a bid to get sex, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Judge Martin Picton said the 40-year-old sex predator posed a significant risk and was every "teenage girl's parents' nightmare".

Fox, of no fixed address but formerly of Cordingley Close, Churchdown, was sentenced to four years followed by a five-year licence period.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention order.

Judge Picton said: "You were pursuing, as a sexual predator, girls you knew to be under age through social networking sites – preying on their vulnerability," he said "Clearly you wanted to have sex with them."

Fox admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming between in 2008, incitement to making an indecent photograph of a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and incitement to make an indecent photograph of a child.

Prosecutor Martin Lanchester told the court Fox had also asked for two further similar matters to be taken into consideration .

The barrister said the four main charges related to two girls, aged 14 and 15.

In early 2007 one girl got into contact with Fox through the MSN messaging service and by October there was mobile phone contact. Fox was telling her he loved her and wanted "to marry her," said Mr Lanchester.

Fox also pressurised her to send him an indecent picture of herself.

The two met in Coventry the following year but the girl refused to get into his vehicle. Fox gave her a phone with £100 credit already on it. Teachers at her school became concerned about the phone and Fox was arrested in February 2008.

During the same period, Fox was also in contact with a second girl via MSN messaging. His texts became increasingly explicit.

The two further offences came to light when two other teenagers came forward, the court heard.

Fox had no relevant previous convictions.

Christopher Smythe, defending, said his client could not account for his behaviour and suggested it "may have been coming out of the services".