A GARAGE worker who groomed a schoolgirl and repeatedly had sex with her has been jailed for 12 years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how married Timothy Pennington, 37, had intercourse with the 12-year-old child at his house when his wife was at work.

The victim later told police they watched porn videos at his house as they had sex and used sex toys.

Pennington also downloaded obscene and "extremely disturbing" child porn on his computer including images of beastality and had shown some of the clips to the girl.

The defendant, who is a grandfather, claimed after his arrest the victim was blackmailing him over telling his wife, was adamant there had been no sex and blamed her.

He had tried to commit suicide last year because, it was said, he couldn't live with himself over the "horrific" way he had abused the child for two years, the court was told.

Pennington, of Hendon Road, Nelson, had earlier admitted raping a child under 13, three allegations of sexual activity with a child and four of making an indecent photo of a child. They are all specimen counts.

Sentencing Judge Beverley Lunt told the defendant: "This was a vulnerable 12-year-old girl."

The judge, who had read letters from the defendant's relatives claiming his behaviour was out of character, said: "These offences were wholly in character. It's just that it was a character you had hidden from your family."

Pennington was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

Under the order he must not associate with any child under 16 unless the child is accompanied by a parent, guardian or appropriate adult; no child under 16 must enter his house; he must not be in employment which would bring him into contact with children under 16 and he was banned from working with children.

The defendant is also prohibited from entering any house where a child under 16 lives and is not to use or own any computer at home.

Dennis Watson, prosecuting, told the court the offences took place between 2005 and 2007 and came to light after the girl's mother spotted chocolate wrappers in her room.

In January 2007 the victim's mother questioned her about some chocolate wrappers in her bedroom and the girl told her that the defendant had been given her them.

She said that he would have sex with her.

She told her mother Pennington would text her. The girl's parents monitored her phone and found messages being sent by him. The parents then contacted the police.

The child was interviewed in February last year when she was 13. At first she did not tell the whole story but did say she had sex with the defendant and she trusted him.

Mr Watson said: "By the time she was 12, by the time the defendant began to rape her, he had groomed her. She said that she trusted him completely."

Prosecutor said the victim told police she had had sex with Pennington the last time three weeks before.

She said he had met her at 8am and they had gone to his house. The victim told officers they had intercourse about once a week from when she was 12 Pennington would meet her after school and either take her to his home or they would park in an alleyway in his car.

Mr Watson said the girl claimed the defendant told her not to tell anybody what was happening because he could get into trouble.

She had told her mother she had informed Pennington she didn't want to see him anymore but he kept texting her.

Pennington was arrested on February 13 last year and his computer was seized along with a number of sex toys from his house.

He alleged the victim had made advances towards him, that she started the text messaging and there had been no sex.

He had no previous convictions.

Charles Brown defending said Pennington had taken advantage of the girl but it was not a case of a sexual predictor going out to seek a victim. He was aware of how wrong the offences were, made no attempt to jusifty or excuse his actions and felt deep shame and remorse.

Mr Brown continued "He has an appreciation of the damage he has done, most importantly the damage to the girl. He also appreciates the damage he has done to his own loved ones by what he has done."

The barrister read out a letter from Pennington in which he said he was disgusted at what he had done to a young innocent child.

The defendant had written: "There are no words describe the contempt I have for myself."