A perverted computer fanatic who was jailed for grooming and abusing an underage girl was a member of the hacking network called Anonymous, it has emerged.

The previously unknown background about Christopher James Topliss, 29, who targeted a 15-year-old girl after befriending an acquaintance of hers through a gaming chat service online, has emerged at the Appeal Court in London.

That hearing ended with Topliss's sentence being slashed.

The court was told how the pervert travelled five hours across the country from his Carlisle home to see the girl.

He went on to kiss and cuddle her, the court heard.

At an earlier hearing before Liverpool Crown Court, Topliss, of Low Meadow, Belle Vue, admitted meeting a child following grooming, sexual activity with a child and a computer misuse.

He was jailed for three years and eight months.

But following his appeal, that sentence was reduced to three years and two months.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said the original sentence was simply too long for the offences which Topliss had committed.

The court heard the hacker was arrested after he used a PayPal account to purchase so-called 'malware' online.

Examination of his computer and phone revealed he identified himself online as a hacker, taking the name Legion Chris as part of the Anonymous group.

Among his online activities, Topliss had used a photo of a model to set up a Facebook page in order to get control of people's phones and computers.

He met the abuse victim through a teenage friend, who he had been communicating with through an Xbox chat facility.

He knew she was 15, but continued to engage in sexualised conversations before going to meet her.

His lawyers argued at the Court of Appeal today that the total sentence which he received was too tough.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, sitting with Sir Brian Leveson and Mr Justice Openshaw, said the term was too long.

"In our view, an overall sentence of three years and two months would have been appropriate in this case," he said.

A perverted computer fanatic who was jailed for grooming and abusing an underage girl was a member of the hacking network called Anonymous, it has emerged.

The previously unknown background about Christopher James Topliss, 29, who targeted a 15-year-old girl after befriending an acquaintance of hers through a gaming chat service online, emerged during an Appeal Court hearing which ended with his sentence being slashed by top judges.

Toipliss travelled five hours across the country from his Carlisle home to see the girl.

He went on to kiss and cuddle her, the court heard.

At an earlier hearing before Liverpool Crown Court, Topliss, of Low Meadow, Belle Vue, admitted meeting a child following grooming, sexual activity with a child and a computer misuse.

He was jailed for three years and eight months.

But following his appeal, that sentence was reduced to three years and two months.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said the original sentence was simply too long for the offences which Topliss had committed.

The court heard the hacker was arrested after he used a PayPal account to purchase so-called 'malware' online.

Examination of his computer and phone revealed he identified himself online as a hacker, taking the name Legion Chris as part of the Anonymous group.

Among his online activities, Topliss had used a photo of a model to set up a Facebook page in order to get control of people's phones and computers.

He met the abuse victim through a teenage friend, who he had been communicating with through an Xbox chat facility.

He knew she was 15, but continued to engage in sexualised conversations before going to meet her.

His lawyers argued at the Court of Appeal today that the total sentence which he received was too tough.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, sitting with Sir Brian Leveson and Mr Justice Openshaw, said the term was too long.

"In our view, an overall sentence of three years and two months would have been appropriate in this case," he said.

Topliss was brought to justice after an investigation by the National Crime Agency's Cyber Crime Unit, which uncovered how he had started online relationships with a number of girls aged under sixteen, in one case travelling to abuse his victim.