A PERVERT who molested a 12-year-old girl at a sleepover has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Mark Austin denied carrying out the sex attack but was convicted following a trial at Swindon Crown Court in April.

The 50-year-old, of Pembroke Road, Salisbury, has been jailed and told he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Austin was living in Mere when the youngster visited for a sleepover with one of his children in December 2015.

In the night he crept into the room where she was staying and groped her.

Mary Cowie, prosecuting, told the court that the victim said she no longer trusted adults and didn’t like being alone.

Giles Nelson, defending, said it was a ‘one off moment’ adding it was ‘a search for affection and confusion rather than a sexualised campaign to a particular child’.

He said as a consequence of being on bail for so long he had not been allowed regular contact with his daughter.

His client also has a history of heart disease and had an angiogram in 2015, he said, and also gets considerable pain from pancreatitis.

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said “On April 26 you were convicted by the jury of a sexual assault upon the girl on a day in 2015.

“She was aged 12 at the time. It took place when she was sleeping over at your house.

"It was the middle of the night. She woke up to find you touching her.

“Your touching went as far as her breast area and then she managed to get away from you.

“It is clear what you did to her that day has had a reasonably significant affect on her mentally and socially.

“I take into account that this was out of character in some way for you. In so far as sentencing you, as I indicated last time there must be a prison sentence.”

As well as a three-and-a-half year jail term he also imposed a sexual harm prevention order restricting his liberty when released.