A SIXTY-two-year-old “family man” from Egremont has been jailed for sexual offences against a schoolgirl.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court told James Nixon that he had "robbed" his victim of what should have been carefree childhood years.

The defendant, of The Laurels, Orgill, admitted two sexual assaults and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The first sexual assault consisted of a course of sexualised behaviour towards the teenage victim, which included repeated unwanted touching, the court heard.

Nixon also offered the girl money to undress for him and asked to to tell nobody about what he had done. Richard Howarth, prosecuting, read aloud the victim impact statement from the teenager, who said what happened left her feeling defensive.

“I never used to be like that," she said.

“I was quiet and laid-back and motivated. Now I am defensive, angry, and can’t be bothered.

"My whole attitude is not like it was. “

The girl felt unable to leave her house unless accompanied and she feared seeing the defendant; and said the offences were imprinted on her brain.

She had many nightmares and Nixon was always in them.

The girl - who now felt self-conscious - would wake up crying and she suffered from stress headaches.

Nixon’s defence barrister Judith McCullough said the offences were "wholly out of character" for the defendant, a man with no previous convictions.

She said: “He has been a hard-working, family-orientated man who has spent much of his time taking care of others.”

Outlining the background, she said the defendant had failing health and there was “palpable” bewilderment in the heartfelt character references written for him.

There was concern about the possibility of early onset dementia, which had not yet been ruled out. It was also likely Nixon also had prostate cancer.

Judge Nicholas Barker said the defendant pursued a “campaign” of sexualised behaviour against the child. He said: "It would have been obvious to you that it would cause her great discomfort; and it would have been obvious to you that this was wholly wrong.”

The judge accepted that when interviewed by the police Nixon accepted responsibility.

But Judge Barker noted the impact on the victim, observing how she became withdrawn and her schoolwork suffered.

“They don’t get those years back,” said the judge.

“You have robbed from her much of what should have been carefree… years. She has changed her behaviour and her attitude and speaks of heightened anxiety.”

The judge jailed Nixon for a year saying that only an immediate prison term was appropriate for such offending. He also put Nixon on the Sex Offender Register for a decade; and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.