PAEDOPHILE Stephen Proctor has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a schoolgirl.
The 44-year-old, who has a previous conviction for indecently assaulting young girls, was seen by a witness sat in his car with the girl on his knee, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.
Prosecutor Paul Spratt said last April Proctor was a delivery driver for a takeaway.
A witness saw the vehicle parked in Turner Street, Birches Head, on April 8.
"The driver's seat was reclined and a young girl appeared to be sat on the defendant's knee," said Mr Spratt.
The court heard the witness saw Proctor and the girl kiss intimately. She then noticed the defendant's hand go inside the girl's trousers.
She told her mum what she had seen and the girl's mother approached the vehicle.
She noted the registration number and called the police. Proctor was arrested in Dividy Road, Bentilee, The girl was in the passenger seat.
Police later searched Proctor's home and seized three computers. They were analysed and found to contain 542 indecent images of children.
The court was told Proctor had told the girl not to say anything to anybody.
Proctor, of Keelings Road, Northwood, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13; 13 charges of making indecent images of children and possessing 542 indecent photographs of children.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, said there was no evidence Proctor had made contact with the girl's genitalia, there was no penetration and no physical force was used.
He said the majority of the images found on Proctor's computers were level 3, which is in the middle of the levels of seriousness. And the barrister added that there was no evidence of Proctor distributing the images.
Mr Cliff said Proctor was a teenager when he last committed an offence of a similar nature.
He said: "He has struggled with his mental health and has attempted suicide on two occasions.
"He will be a vulnerable prisoner."
Mr Cliff asked Judge Paul Glenn to consider suspending any prison sentence.
But the judge said he considered Proctor a danger. However, he said he could not pass a sentence which reflects that as he would have to find a sentence of four years was justified.
Jailing Proctor for 12 months, Judge Glenn said: "You told her not to tell anyone. Your actions were deliberate and blatant."
He added: "You are sexually attracted to children.
"You were in the grooming process with this girl.
"I regard you as a risk of serious harm to children. You meet the criteria for a dangerous offender.
"I believe you have a continuing propensity to assault young children."
Proctor will serve no more than half the sentence with the rest on licence.
He will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and will be barred from a range of activities involving children.
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