Ending an internet date thing without ghosting

[isntitapip]

I've been dating a decent man recently. About 5-6 dates in a few months (1 every couple of weeks approximately). We message every few days. We've dtd twice (it was pretty bad both times which doesn't help). I've decided he's not for me. He's lovely, good looking, great dad to his 4 kids, nothing wrong with him at all (dtd was so bad I started going off him after that though I thought I'd give it a chance to get better).
We're meant to go out tonight. I don't want to. He's just not for me. How do I tell him? I'm so bad at this, I've actually lost sleep last night thinking about it. Is a text ok? How do I word it?
Previous to meeting me he'd not had sex for 2 years, I don't want to damage is confidence. Please help!

Agree that it totally depends on the context, length of relationship, the degree of intimacy that's been shared. A long relationship certainly deserves a meeting. A fairly shortish one like this, even if sex is involved, not necessarily, unless you'd really opened up to one another.

I also think in a way a text is better either than a f2f or a call a call is excruciating nothing to say after the bombshell has been dropped except "by then", and a meeting feels a bit OTT after this length of relationship. I think what you've done is fine.