A pervert has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years for sexually abusing a girl.

Derek Lee, of Pittenden, Tenterden, confessed to his crimes shortly before he was due to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

He admitted six offences of sexual activity with a child and one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, committed in 2012 and 2013.

The 54-year-old denied two other offences of sexual activity with a child and they were left on the court file.

Lee had full intercourse with the victim and did not use a condom, the court heard.

But Judge Martin Joy ruled that he did not pose a danger to the public of further offending under the strictly defined law.

Lee had given a no comment interview after his arrest and a probation report in which he discussed his motivation for committing the offences was “interesting”, said the judge.

Reference was made to his acquittal on sex offences at the same court in 2002.

“You set out for the probation officer what your motivation was,” said Judge Joy. “You explained it. It must have been a somewhat delicate matter for you to raise.

“There was what the probation officer described as ‘somewhat twisted logic’ behind your explanation.”

Lee’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for life and a sexual offences prevention order, banning unsupervised contact with children under 16, was made until further order.

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