A SELF-CONFESSED sexual predator set up fake identities on a social networking website to groom children for sex.

Robert Anderson would fantasize about having sex with under age girls and targeted them by pretending to be a teenage boy on a website which is easily accessible to youngsters.

As part of a “sophisticated campaign” of grooming, the 33-year-old from Chandler’s Ford would shower underage girls as young as 13 with compliments before asking them to strip in front of a web camera.

He even picked some of them up in his car for sexual liaisons in the New Forest, buying them McDonald’s takeaways and plying them with alcohol to win their favour.

When caught by police after a family member of one of the victims found out what had been going on, Anderson confessed to being a sexual predator, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Gavin Sumpter said: “He said he began acting out his desires by using social networking websites to contact under age girls and specifically said it was to meet them and have sex with them. He described his sexual fantasies as ‘mental and out of control’.”

The court heard how Anderson is known to have groomed eight girls, aged between 13 and 15.

One of his victims was targeted on the website tagged.com, a social networking site linked to Facebook.

Having contacted the teenager using his false profile, Anderson then began messaging her using the Whatsapp smart phone application, promising her a McDonald’s in exchange for a hug. When they met at the Millbrook branch of the takeaway, he drove her to a remote spot in the New Forest and kissed her.

On another occasion he drove the girl and her friend into the New Forest where she was convinced to perform a sex act on him.

Another girl, aged just 13, was persuaded to talk to him over Skype and ordered to take her clothes off on a webcam. Anderson also talked to her about her “sexy school uniform” and having a drive together.

Anderson, of Baddesley Road, admitted attempting and engaging children in sexual activity and offences of grooming.

Sentencing him to five years behind bars, Judge Peter Ralls said: “Clearly this was a long and serious campaign of sexual offences.”

Anderson was also given an extended supervision period of four years because he was considered a danger and handed a sexual prevention order.