A 50-year-old paedophile who enticed schoolgirls to his home in Bethnal Green for sex games has been jailed for grooming offences and making indecent images of children.

Paul Sullivan was convicted of multiple sexual crimes when he appeared in the dock at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, September 6.

He will spend four years in jail.

He was found guilty of twice inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and five charges of meeting a girl under 16 following sexual grooming.

He was also guilty of three counts of making indecent images/pseudo-photographs of children, which included six moving images of the most serious category A, one still image in category B and five category C images.

Sullivan befriended five schoolgirls aged 14 in a park where he gave them alcohol, cigarettes and even cannabis.

The girls went to his home in Cheshire Street, off Brick Lane, where he plied them with more alcohol and cigarettes.

They would play 'Spin the Bottle' and Sullivan would get sexual information from them.

He said things that made them feel uncomfortable, with one girl asked if she would have sex with him if they were alone, the court heard.

The offences came to light in July last year when the mother of one of the children called police after seeing messages on her daughter's phone indicating that she had been to a man's address.

An investigation was started by the Met's Central East Proactive Exploitation unit based at Bethnal Green, who raided Sullivan's home and seized equipment with the indecent images.

"Paul Sullivan targeted vulnerable young girls for his own sexual gratification," Det Con Andy Owen said after the court case.

"He is a dangerous offender who has now been brought to justice."

The judge gave Det Con Owen a Commendation as the officer in the case.

The detective was part of east London's Proactive Exploitation team which interviewed the children and analysed Sullivan's computers and laptop which uncovered images he had tried to hide or delete.

The NSPCC has since condemned Sullivan's abuse of children. The child-protection national charity said in a statement to the East London Advertiser: "Sullivan manipulated and abused these children and it is right he is punished for his awful crimes.

"Abuse can have a terrible impact on both a child and their family, so it is crucial his victims and loved ones are given the support they need to recover and move on with their lives."

Sullivan, who was also convicted of supplying and possessing cannabis, received concurrent sentences adding up to 20 years and eight weeks, but to be served together, putting him away for four years. He was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Anyone worried about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.