A PAEDOPHILE from Essex has returned to the UK after serving a prison sentence for “luring” a 13-year-old Canadian girl over the internet.

James Hore

A PAEDOPHILE from Essex has returned to the UK after serving a prison sentence for “luring” a 13-year-old Canadian girl over the internet.

Rachata Burasite , from Halstead, met the youngster about two years ago on Gaia Online where people create a profile and chat to each other.

The 22-year-old was stopped earlier this year by customs officers at Vancouver Airport, Canada, who became suspicious about him.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed the pair originally met on Gaia Online which has more than three million members across the globe.

Pc Rosiane Racine of Canada's integrated child exploitation unit, said: “They spent almost two years chatting online and by SMS before they decided to meet each other. The girl knew he was older, but not how much.

“When Mr Burasite arrived, a Vancouver International customs officer decided something was not right and began to question him. Then he called the police and that was when they found out he was here to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.

“He planned to stay for a month. The girl's parents were very distressed when we told them what had happened.”

Burasite was charged with “child luring” over the internet and pleaded to the offence in October.

He was sentenced to six months in jail last month but because of the time he spent in custody before his plea, he was sent back to the UK.

He was deported on November 20 and has been placed on the sex offenders' register.

Pc Racine added that the case highlighted the dangers of the internet.

“The internet can be a wonderful tool to learn and communicate, but it can also be very dangerous if encountering the wrong people,” she said.

Burasite was unavailable for comment last night.