A HERO taxi driver saved a 13-year-old girl from a horrific sex ordeal, or even worse, at the hands of a twisted paedophile from Cam who fantasised about raping and killing children, a court heard today.

Sam Hewings, 24, met the girl online and persuaded her to take a taxi from her Oxfordshire home to meet him in Gloucester.

But the driver, was so concerned about the Bicester girl, who was in her school uniform, that he alerted the police after arriving at Gloucester railway station, where she had asked to be taken.

Hewings did not turn up on time to meet her but was caught on CCTV walking in the area of the station, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Giles Nelson said it was thought that Hewings got cold feet when he saw there was a police car parked near the taxi.

When Hewings was arrested later that day police searched his belongings and found a sinister set of items in a rucksack - two knives, a roll of duct tape and a spectacles case filled with co-codamol tablets.

Hewings, of Hadley Road, Cam, admitted attempting to abduct the girl on February 20 this year.

He also admitted possessing and distributing child porn in November last year and again in February.

Judge Michael Cullum jailed him for a total of five years and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

He also made a lifelong sexual harm prevention order against him.

The judge told Hewings he presented a “very worrying” problem for the court.

"From about September to November last year your chat logs reveal your paedophile tendencies and desires," he said.

"You had graphic discussions with other paedophiles about raping a child in the future - and you suggested you had done it in the past.

"You were fantasising over the pain that would cause to a young child. You discussed killing a child to the extent of detail about freezing the body thereafter.

"You discussed kidnapping teens. You said 'I have a teen in mind but she needs to be kidnapped’.

"You discussed using co-codamol to control and sedate a victim. 'I want to rape a drugged girl,'” you said.

The judge said it was clear to him that an abduction was already under way when the girl travelled to Gloucester but Hewings did not then go ahead with his “evil” plan.

"You were trying to abduct that child for sexual purposes.

"During this hearing I asked your counsel what you intended to do with her. There was no answer to that and that doesn't surprise me at all because I suspect the true answer would be horrifying.

"I think you were intending to carry out your fantasies. You are and you remain for the foreseeable future a serious threat to young people and you will in my judgement need significant treatment to deal with your desires and actions regarding your strongly held fantasies about sex with children.

"I have no doubt at all that on the day this young girl came to Gloucester you planned a sexual act and probably rape as per your oft-repeated desires."

Mr Nelson told the court that police had raided Hewings' home on November 23 last year and found more than 400 indecent images on his computer and phone. He was bailed to await further investigation.

But then while on bail he committed the attempted abduction and when arrested more child porn was found on a Kindle device.

The Bicester girl who was the target of Hewings' most serious offence had declined to co-operate with the police so the prosecution had little detail about how the contact between them had developed, Mr Nelson said.

On February 20, the girl rang and booked a taxi at 3.20am. She said she wanted to go to Gloucester Railway station first thing in the morning.

When Mr Singh picked her up he saw that she was in her school uniform and alone and he was concerned.

The girl gave the cabbie a phone number for the man who would be paying the fare on arrival.

"He rang it and a male voice said he would be paying," said Mr Nelson. "Mr Singh behaved in an exemplary manner.

“He was suspicious of what was transpiring and he recorded the call. He also discussed his concerns with his wife.

"He arrived at Gloucester Station at 9.40am and no-one was waiting for her. He called the defendant's number again and he also recorded that call.

"The defendant said he was caught in traffic.  The police were then called by the taxi driver's wife.

“Officers attended and collected her from the station.  She had two bags with her, full of clothes and make-up."

At the time of the incident Hewings had been staying with a female friend in Gloucester, only a short walk away from the station, said Mr Nelson.

Unknown to the woman, Hewings had been putting pictures of her family members online and commenting he would like to rape them.

When interviewed, Hewings accepted he had sex fantasies about abducting and raping children and he referred to co-codamol as a knockout drug which would put someone out for hours.

Brendan Moorhouse, defending, asked the court to bear in mind that Hewings did not go to meet the girl and was not seen anywhere near the station until nearly an hour after the time she said she was supposed to meet him.

"Some people fantasise entirely in their heads, "he said. "I would invite Your Honour to proceed with due caution as to what in fact was taking place on this occasion.

“You are dealing with a young man who has a difficult psychological make-up."