A Calgary man is going to jail for using a popular chat site to lure young girls for sex, after he was acquitted on similar charges in a separate case.

Matthew Allan Armstrong, 28, was sentenced to two years less a day on Friday, but will actually serve about eight months after being given credit for time spent in custody.

Armstrong had pleaded guilty to six charges including luring a person under the age of 16 for the purpose of facilitating sexual interference or sexual touching, and breach of bail conditions.

Provincial court Judge Allan Fradsham also sentenced him to three years probation and ordered him to:

  • Stay away from places where children under 16 frequent.
  • Be registered as a sex offender for 20 years.
  • Stay away from using any computer or other means to make contact with underage persons.

In an agreed statement of facts, Armstrong admitted he used Nexopia, a popular website, to try to convince three girls aged 15 to 19 to have sex with him. He said he met a 14-year-old girl in a movie theatre washroom where they had sex.

He was charged after he set up a meeting with an undercover police officer who told him she was 13.

The incidents happened while Armstrong was on bail for similar charges.

In October, Armstrong was acquitted of luring a 13-year-old girl over the internet and sexually assaulting her. The judge ruled there was reasonable doubt the accused knew how young the girl was.

Defence lawyer Balfour Der had argued for Armstrong's sentence to be served in the community, because of his client's acute myotonic dystrophy, which causes muscle weakness and delayed behavioural development.

But the judge agreed with the Crown that Armstrong was a high risk to reoffend, and noted Armstrong's condition was not an excuse for his actions.