A MAN who sexually molested a young girl has been placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

David Jolly, 50, of Clement Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to two offences of assaulting the 11-year-old girl by touching her sexually.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the girl was described in a victim impact statement as "quiet and more withdrawn" since the incidents.

The court was told that Jolly has no similar previous convictions and a judge imposed a 12 month sentence suspended for two years.

Judge David Boulton also placed him under supervision for two years on condition he attends a sex offenders treatment programme.

He told Jolly: "It is rigorous and demanding so don't think that you can breeze through it because you won't."

He explained that if he jailed him he would come out without having changed "one iota" which would not help anyone.

The judge ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for five years and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banned him from being alone with children under sixteen.

Paul Becker, prosecuting, said that after Jolly molested the girl she was too afraid to tell her parents but she told a friend who told them.

He said that before the offences came to light on August 21, Jolly and a barmaid, who happened to be a friend of the girl's father, were talking about paedophiles and Jolly said to her: "You'd be surprised how many ten or 11-year-olds ask for it."

The shocked woman, who herself has a young daughter, asked how they could possibly ask for sex and he said he had worked with young girls and knew they did.

When arrested Jolly denied the allegations, said Mr Becker.

Michael Marr, defending, said that Jolly had pleaded guilty and spared the girl the ordeal of giving evidence. He is now a social pariah and his home had been fire bombed.

Jolly, who received incapacity benefit following a road traffic accident, has been ostracised by his family and friends, said Mr Marr.