A PAEDOPHILE who believed he was going to meet a schoolboy has been jailed for two years after being snared by a vigilante group.

Mark Sutherland, 36, spoke to who he believed was a 13-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr.

They exchanged messages and sick Sutherland sent explicit pictures after being told the boy was a young teen - and even made arrangements to meet up.

But the person Sutherland was talking to was 48-year-old Paul Devine, part of group called Groom Resisters Scotland.

Another two members of the organisation turned up to Partick Bus Station on January 31 to meet Sutherland and stayed with him until police arrived.

After a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sutherland was unanimously convicted two charges under the Sexual Offences Act between January 18 and 31, this year, including going to meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old with the intention of engaging in “unlawful sexual activity”.

Messages exchanged between Mr Devine, as the teenager, and Sutherland were shown to the jury.

Pervert Sutherland was told: “I’m only 13” within the first few messages, then sent an explicit photograph and asked: “You like?”.

He also asked the child to send him a picture - but Mr Devine replied that his camera was smashed and wasn’t working.

After he was told again the boy’s age, Sutherland asked “Would you like to meet up some time?”

Procurator fiscal depute Mark Allan asked: “That’s a direct question to you, posing as a 13-year-old?”

Mr Devine replied: “Yes.”

Sheriff Martin Jones QC jailed Sutherland for a total of two years.