A SEX predator whose victim secretly recorded him confessing his crimes has failed in an Appeal Court bid to clear his name.

Philip James Pike, of Lyster Road, Fordingbridge, was jailed for three years at Taunton Crown Court in August 2016. Jurors convicted him of three counts of indecent assault dating back to the 1970s.

Prosecutors claimed Pike repeatedly abused a schoolgirl victim by groping her.

The girl, who was 13 when attacked, said Pike molested her after “putting her in a stranglehold or smothering her”.

Nearly 40 years later, she said she managed to secretly catch him on tape as he admitted his crimes.

When first arrested, Pike, 55, told police: “I’ve been carrying this with me all my life...at least I can put this to bed now”.

But later he denied any wrong-doing, branding his victim a “manipulator”.

Lord Justice Davis told London’s Appeal Court the victim secretly recorded him in 2013, using a “device in her pocket”.

“The recordings included an exchange which may be construed as damning admissions by Pike”, he added.

His comments included the sentence, “I know what happened was totally wrong, but I can’t change that”.

Pike’s case reached the Appeal Court last week as he challenged the safety of his convictions.

But Lord Justice Davis rejected arguments that the victim’s credibility was fatally undermined because her recollection of some of the events 40 years ago was faulty.

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Nicol and Judge Richard Marks QC, said: “Looking at matters overall, we are satisfied these convictions are safe. It is not right that the prosecution rested solely on her evidence and credibility.

“There was also the fact of Pike’s own recorded admissions - both as recorded by the victim and as stated to the police.”

Permission to appeal was refused.