Dad jailed for teen sex attacks

3:45pm Saturday 28th April 2007

A MAN has been jailed for 18 months after he admitted sex assaults on two teenage girls.

Peter O'Malley, 51, had previous convictions for unlawful sex with girls in 1978, 1983 and 1995, Preston Crown Court heard.

O'Malley, of Preston Old Road, Blackburn, had been due to face trial before he pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault.

In addition to the jail term he was disqualified from working with children for life, and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.

A sexual offences prevention order was also imposed to protect the public.

Miss Rowena Goode, prosecuting, told the court the first offence had taken place in July 2005 and involved a 17-year-old girl.

O'Malley asked about a tattoo on her lower back and and then indecently touched her twice.

The second offence took place in May 2006 and involved a 14-year-old schoolgirl. He had squeezed her breast over her top, and touched her on the backside.

When questioned by police, O'Malley denied any sexual touching and said there had been no inappropriate behaviour.

Mark Stuart, defen-ding, said the offences were not long lasting and were at the lower end of the scale.

"He should not have behaved in the way that he did," said Mr Stuart.

O'Malley had brought up his three children on his own.

Judge Andrew Woolman told O'Malley: "You harbour inappropriate feelings of a sexual nature for teenage girls....and you are unable to control those urges when you come into contact with them."

O'Malley has already spent 194 days in custody on remand.