A 74-year-old man who molested a girl in a holiday park pool has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Ronald Gettins, of Hindle Street, Darwen, molested the 12-year-old three times on two separate occasions in 2005.

He was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a girl under 13 and was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Preston Crown Court heard that the offences came to light after the girl confided in a friend and a teacher in April this year.

The girl, then 14, wrote her mum a note on April 19 explaining what had happened.

She wrote: "I am sorry if I upset you. I have only just brought this up because it is my deepest darkest secret. Try not to talk too much about it."

Her school and social services contacted her parents and the girl was interviewed and Gettins was charged on June 25.

Hilary Banks, prosecuting, said: "She said she really didn't know what was happening.

"It lasted maybe three or four minutes until she was able to wriggle away from his grasp and swim away."

She added: "She said she felt physically numb and confused about what had happened and kept the incident to herself.

"When arrested, Gettins admitted the charges but "in his opinion there was some responsibilty on her and he believed she had been leading him on, acting as if she wanted him to touch her."

She said that since the allegations came to light the girl, now 15, had been self-harming, feared bumping into him in the street and was worried for her future relationships with men.

Jeffrey Samuels, defending, said: "This is a man of previous good character with 40-odd years of marriage behind him, and three sons.

"It is a tragedy this man now comes before you for sentence."

Judge Andrew Blake said Gettins only escaped a custodial sentence because of his early guilty plea.

He added: "She was well under age and what you did was both criminal and damaging to her and you have to take full responsibility for that.

"She is wholly blameless. I say that to you as everyone else knows that but reading the pre-sentence report I and the author are worried as to whether you know that."

Judge Blake handed Gettins a five-year sexual offences prevention order and ordered him to undertake a community sex offender programme as he was concerned he would reoffend without taking it.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.