Alberta's Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial for an Edmonton man acquitted of trying to lure a 12-year-old Ontario girl over the internet into sexual acts.

In a decision released Thursday, the court has set aside 37-year-old Craig Legare's  2006 acquittal on charges of sexual touching and communicating via computer for the purpose of facilitating a sexual offence.

Legare admitted he discussed sexual acts with the girl in an internet chat room in 2003, and later twice spoke to her at home.

In the first trial, Court of Queen's Bench Justice John Agrios acquitted Legare because Legare had not intended to meet the girl.

But the three-judge Court of Appeal panel ruled Parliament's internet luring law, passed in 2002, did not require physical contact for a crime to be committed.

Justice Jack Watson wrote that the law is designed to protect children from online predators and is aimed at their "preparatory conduct."

After the acquittal, child protection groups questioned the trial judges reasons for his decision.

Randy Wickins, a detective with the Integrated Child Exploitation team in Edmonton, told CBC in 2006 that "dirty talk" is one of the first steps in luring and should be seen that way in law.

"My fear is that some of them will meet. Doesn't matter whether you are from a poor home or a wealthy home, children can be easily manipulated," Wickins said.

With files from the Canadian Press