On June 5th 1981, a medical journal in the States documented a mysterious illness that had killed five men in Los Angeles.

It was the first reference to what would later be known as Aids and by December of that year – exactly 30 years ago this month – the first case of Aids was diagnosed in the UK.

Today marks not only that anniversary, but also World Aids Day which, since 1988 has been observed around the world to commemorate those who have died from the disease and also to raise awareness of the issue and to raise funds for continued research into a possible cure and treatment.

Over 86,500 people in the UK are currently living with HIV, part of a world-wide epidemic of which the World Health Authority (WHO) estimates more than 30 million adults and close to 3 million children are sufferers.

In the last 30 years, Aids has claimed many lives in the UK and in 2011 86,500 are HIV positive, four times as many as in 1993.

King was jailed for four years after admitting arranging the commission of child sex offences and two further counts of possessing indecent images.

The judge, sitting at Southwark Crown Court, was told how King began talking to the undercover officers in July this year when the officer claimed to have three young children.

During the online chats the defendant revealed how he had previously raped a 14-year-old, who he later claimed was just 13.

On July 19 he said ‘any age, younger the better’. in a message and told the officer he was willing to travel the 80 miles from his home in Southampton to London in order for the pair to meet.

Sting: King met an undercover police officer at Waterloo Station, who he thought was going to allow him to abuse children

When they met at Waterloo Station on July 27, King confessed that he wanted to abuse the five-year-old boy and six year old girl.

A second meeting was arranged when the paedophile believed he would be taken to the undercover officer’s home and be allowed to abuse the children.

On August 2, King was arrested and in interview confirmed he planned to go to the policeman’s home and sexually assault the children.

He said he had lied about abusing children in the past during his conversations with the undercover officer.

When he was arrested he was in possession of flavoured condoms and some toys for the children.

A number of items were also seized from his home, including a laptop, USB stick and external hard drives, which contained indecent images of children.

King of Southampton, Hampshire, was jailed for four years.

Speaking after the sentencing Detective Chief Superintendent Reg Hooke, head of the MPS Child Abuse Investigation Command, said: ‘The plotting of child abuse over the internet is a sickening crime and one that poses a serious and ongoing threat.

‘Officers from the Met’s Paedophile Unit conduct operations, such as the one that caught King, on a weekly basis.

‘Luckily, this time, King’s appalling intentions remained just that. The result reflects the Met’s continued commitment to fighting child abuse in all its forms.