A TOOWOOMBA man who used the Internet in an attempt to groom a 14-year-old girl for sexual activities arranged to meet her only to find out he'd been conversing with an undercover police officer.
Damien Scott Dallinger, 33, had for a month been conversing online with someone he thought to be a young teenage girl and eventually arranged to meet her at the Corinda Railway Station in April, Toowoomba District Court heard.
However, when he arrived at the station, he was instead arrested by waiting police, prosecutor Caitlyn Thompson told the court.
Dallinger, who had no previous criminal history at all, pleaded guilty to eight charges arising from the offending.
Defence barrister Robbie Davies said his client at the time had been "lonely and depressed" and had become absorbed with the Internet.
Since his arrest, his client had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression for which he was now medicated.
Dallinger's prospects of rehabilitation were good, Mr Davies submitted.
Judge Deborah Richards sentenced Dallinger to 18 months in jail, but ordered the term be suspended after he had served four months with the balance of the sentence to hang over his head for the next four years.
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