An Oxfordshire war veteran has been jailed after admitting grooming teenage girls on the Internet.

Richard Male, a former army Major based in Bicester, who served in the Gulf War and Kosovo conflict, admitted contacting girls as young as 13 and 14-years-old.

The 48-year-old met girls on social networking sites before encouraging them to perform sex acts on webcams and arranging secret meetings.

Male admitted grooming seven girls between 2004 and 2008 and sexually abusing one teenager, Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Fiona Horlick, prosecuting, told the court Male enticed his victims with gifts, including sex toys, skimpy outfits, underwear, mini-skirts, alcohol and earrings.

Police also found 218 images and five videos of children on his computer.

Male, who served as a Major with Royal Logistics Corps in Bicester, and won five medals during a 25-year army career, was jailed yesterday for four-and-a-half years.

Miss Horlick said: “He appears to have a very strong sexual interest in young girls and other forms of sexual activity outside the normal boundaries.

“He took photographs of the girls and encouraged them to perform sexual acts on webcams.

“He targeted girls on social networking sites, and girls who tended to be aged 13 and 14 years old.

“Investigations of his computer showed he was obsessed with sexual matters, not just young girls, and showed an extensive use of social network sites.”

The court heard Male trawled the ‘Hot or Not’ website and contacted young girls through MSN.

He met victims in Leicester, Watford, Gloucester, Kent and Melksham, Wiltshire, Miss Horlick added.

The court heard Male bought a 15-year-old victim a sex toy and later sexually abused her.

He made a 14-year-old girl pose for photographs on his motorbike wearing revealing clothing he had bought and sent another 14-year-old girl vodka, the court was told.

Male took two girls for dinner then persuaded one of them, aged 14, to perform acts on a webcam. He also sent a naked picture of himself to the mobile phone of a girl he began grooming when she was 12 years old, the court heard.

Male admitted five counts of meeting following grooming, three of making indecent photos, four of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one each of sexual activity with a child and taking and possessing indecent images.

Ged O’Connor, defending, said Male resigned from the army in November 2008 when he was arrested, shortly before he was due to be deployed to Afghanistan.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat jailed Male and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

She said: “I have no doubt in all cases the eventual outcome of full sex was what you desired.

“It is clear the defendant was obsessed with sexual interaction with women of all ages. His interests were not just paedophilic.”

Det Sgt Jim Pullinger, of the Ministry of Defence Police, said: “It required great bravery by the victims to come forward and report him to police and we have nothing, but praise for their courage.”