Paedophile attacked young girl

A "confirmed paedophile" who abused the six-year-old daughter of a woman he befriended at a Devon Bible class has been jailed for 18 months.

At Plymouth Crown Court Kevin Davis, 41, of Broadwoodwidger, near Lifton, pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

The court heard the girl was assaulted at her home in August while her mother was on the phone.

Davis was also given an extended sentence of three-and-a-half years supervision for after his release.

I regret to say you are a confirmed paedophile. These matters in my judgment are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified Judge William Taylor

Plymouth Crown Court heard that Davis met the single mother-of-two, who has learning difficulties, through her church and they became friendly.

Andrew Maitland, prosecuting, said Davis had gone out for the day with the woman on 18 August 2003 and returned to her house in the evening.

While the mother took a lengthy telephone call from a relative, he assaulted the girl.

The following day he admitted to the mother that he had previous convictions for abusing children, although he did not tell her what he had done to her daughter.

Prison sentences

The court heard that Davis had previously served prison sentences for assaults against children in 1991 and 1992, and was given a community rehabilitation order for possessing and making indecent photographs of children in November 2002.

Judge William Taylor said: "I regret to say you are a confirmed paedophile.

"These matters in my judgment are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified."

Davis must undertake a sex offenders' treatment programme.

The judge also made a sexual offences probation order banning Davis from having unsupervised contact with children under 18 for life, and ordered him to remain on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.