A former French government adviser who was caught trying to arrange an “erotic” photoshoot with three young sisters has been spared jail.

Christophe Bejach, 53, bought girls’ underwear from Amazon as he plotted on an extreme pornography website to live out his sordid fantasies with girls aged 12, 10 and eight.

The businessman, who has advised the French industry minister of economy and industry, wanted sex with the eldest girl and believed he was chatting to her mother when he asked for “erotic nudes” of the children. He was actually talking to an undercover police officer from the Met’s cyber-crime team.

At Southwark crown court yesterday, Bejach was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years after admitting arranging the commission of a child sex offence and three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children.

Judge Joanna Korner QC also imposed 100 days on a sex offenders’ treatment programme and 20 days’ rehab. He was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, told to pay £1,200 costs and will sign the Sex Offenders’ register for 10 years.