An Australian man arrested while on on a rugby union trip in the US for attempting to rape a six-year-old boy at a pedophile party has been sentenced to 12 years’ jail by a Los Angeles judge.

Michael Quinn, 33, an IVF geneticist from Melbourne, was caught in May in LA at a sting set up by US authorities who posed as pedophiles and a pimp offering to supply him with a six-year-old boy to rape for $US250 ($A328).

Quinn, who played for the Melbourne Chargers, wept throughout his sentencing and claimed it was the first time he had attempted to prey on a child.

Previously, court documents revealed Quinn’s methamphetamine addiction, as well as his sexual lust for children. He’d written a blog about plans he was making to meet “like–minded pervs” in New York.

He enthusiastically replied to messages by US undercover agents from Immigration and Customs who set a trap online over three weeks.

In them he told agents he wanted to meet up with a “dad who shares his young ones” in Los Angeles.

Quinn deluged the three officers masquerading as fellow child abusers with his stomach–churning fantasies right up till the day he was arrested at the party.

– with Peter Mitchell (AAP US correspondent), and agencies