Richard Harris (not to be confused with the actor of the same name) of Union Street, Exeter, was arrested and charged after admitting seven charges of inciting sexual activity by offering under age school girls £500 for sex.

Harris had unsuccessfully contested seats across the city at elections in 2006, 2007 and 2008, as a Labour Councillor Candidate.

After hearing of his conviction Eddie Lopez, agent for Exeter Labour Party based at Clifton Hill, said "He is no longer a member of the labour Party. His membership lapsed. We are all as shocked and horrified by what happened as every one else. He is ineligible to be a member while in prison and he would have to apply to the National Executive if he wanted to rejoin.”

Exeter Crown Court was told last week that school governor Harris met the girls through social networking sites and then offered to give them the money in return for sex with him, but he did not actually ever meet any of his victims, who were under 13. He went on to social networking sites like Bebo to specifically contact girls aged 12 and 13.

The court was told that he would pretend at times to be 15 when he was a 28-year-old administrator working for the Norwich Union. When he was arrested October 2008, police seized a computer which had 31 pages of contacts on it. He told police he "felt mostly turned on by girls under 16".

The evil Labour Party Councill Candidate & Junior School Governor was found guilty of all charges, and Judge Graham Cottle jailed Harris for four years and he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and banned from working with children.