A man who tried to meet underage girls for sex via Craigslist, requesting “the younger the better”, has escaped a prison term.

Asif Kidia, of Forest Gate, was given an 18 month sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to arranging or facilitating the commision of a child sex offence.

The Old Bailey heard how the City of London Police were first alerted to Kidia’s actions when a 40-year-old woman, pretending to be a 15-year-old girl on Craigslist, presented evidence to the force’s public protection unit that showed Kidia had posted an advert on the site.

In it, the 37-year-old had requested sexual services from “virgins” or “girls with no experience”, and even stated that “the younger, the better”.

The woman, while pretending to be a teenager, engaged in conversations with Kidia who attempted to arrange a meeting at the flat the ‘girl’ said she shared with her grandmother. Kidia also told the ‘girl’ he was 28.

He was arrested at Heathrow in August last year when he returned from a family holiday.

Although he originally entered a not guilty plea, he admitted the offence last month, on the day his trial was due to start.

Sentencing him on Friday, the judge told Kidia he was “clearly in denial” about his offending due to his “late plea despite the overwhelming evidence” in the case.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Kidia was also served with a sexual harm prevention order which prevents him talking to, or being in the presence of, any girl under the age of 18 without supervision.

He is also prevented from using any device capable of accessing the internet or storing digital images.

If he breaches the order, he could serve up to five years in jail.

Kidia, a former accountant, will also now lose his membership of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and will be placed on the sexual offenders’ register.

Det Insp Anna Rice said: “The City of London Police are committed to protecting young people both physically and online.

“We hope today’s sentencing proves how seriously we take these type of offences and deters others from committing similar acts.”