A FATHER-of-two who took a 14-year-old girl to bed after plying her with wine, having first "groomed" her over the internet, had his sentence reduced by six months in London's Appeal Court.

John Mansfield, who said he believed the girl was 16 when he first encountered her via a chat room, twice met her for sex after driving down to Suffolk from his Bury home.

He also bombarded her with "sexually explicit" text messages and arranged a sleazy hotel liaison with her, even after the girl's mother revealed her daughter's true age and "warned him off".

Judge Sir Douglas Brown said Mansfield (42), of Clifton Street, pretended he was 17 when "chatting" with the girl on the internet, who was still just 13 when they first made contact.

"That fiction continued until her mother found a sexually explicit text message on her telephone," said the judge. "She rang Mansfield who passed himself off as a 17-year-old. She told him the girl's true age and warned him off.

"Instead of breaking off contact, he told the girl his real age and name, and they agreed to meet but, before they did, a number of sexually explicit text messages passed between them," the judge added.

In June last year, when the girl was just over 14, he journeyed down to wine and dine her to the point of "intoxication" before unsuccessfully attempting to have sex with her, with her consent.

Just under a week later they met again and "similar sexual activity took place," said the judge. But the girls family were becoming increasingly concerned for her well-being and persuaded her to contact police.

When Mansfield's home was searched, officers uncovered 2,557 indecent images of children downloaded from the internet for which he was also prosecuted.

He was said to feel remorse for his actions and to pose a "medium" risk of re-offending.

Mansfield appeared at Ipswich Crown Court in October last year, pleading guilty to the offence of "meeting with a child following sexual grooming" in one of the first cases brought under new legislation.

He also admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child, using a child to engage in sexual activity, and to possessing indecent images of children.

The total sentence imposed was four years and three months, while the trial judge also handed down a three-year "extended sentence", the period during which Mansfield will be subject to prison recall if he puts a foot wrong after leaving jail.

Sir Douglas Brown, sitting with Lord Justice Hooper, cut the jail term to three years and nine months, although the extended term remains in place.

Justin Hayhoe, defending, had urged a heavier reduction on grounds that the girl was "compliant", but the judge said the law was intended to "protect young girls from their own immaturity"and from older men who "take advantage of it".