Though Willoughby’s impact statement was not relayed, the judge said it was clear that Plumb’s plot had a “catastrophic and “life-changing” impact on the TV personality, privately and professionally.

Willoughby, 43, has for years been one of the most high-profile television personalities in the UK. Soon after Plumb’s arrest, she stood down after 14 years of presenting “This Morning,” a morning program on ITV.

Plumb was snared after a US undercover police officer infiltrated an online group called “Abduct Lovers” and became so concerned about Plumb’s posts that evidence was passed to the FBI.

Plumb told the officer he was “definitely serious” about his plot to kidnap Willoughby, leaving the officer with the impression that there was an “imminent threat” to her.

When Essex police officers raided Plumb’s flat in north London they found bottles of chloroform and an “abduction kit” complete with cable ties.

When he was arrested and officers told him that the allegations concerned Willoughby, the defendant told them: “I’m not gonna lie, she is a fantasy of mine.”

Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood, of Essex Police, the senior investigating officer, said the case “brought misogyny and violence against women and girls to the fore” and paid tribute to Willoughby and others

“It has demonstrated that we all have much to do to stamp it out of society,” he said outside of the court following the sentencing. “It cannot be right that men like Gavin Plumb are able to join online forums where they freely vent their hatred towards women and girls and plot to cause them harm.

AP