A MIDDLE-aged man from Bury man has admitted "grooming" a 14-year-old Suffolk girl over the Internet and then sexually assaulting her in the first prosecutions of its kind under new legislation.

Engineer John Mansfield, 42, admitted at Ipswich Crown Court communicating via a computer with a 14-year-old Newmarket girl - with the intent to commit a sexual offence - and three charges of sexually assaulting her.

Police said it was the first time a prosecution for the new crime of Internet grooming, introduced in the Sexual Offences Act 2003, had ever been successfully brought.

Mansfield, a father-of-two from Clifton Street, who is separated from his wife, admitted sexually assaulting the girl on three separate occasions between June 4 and 11 this year after contacting her via the Internet.

Having struck up a relationship with the girl, by posing as a child, Mansfield travelled from his home to meet the girl in Cambridge, and one of the assaults took place at a guesthouse, the court heard.

Mansfield, who could face up to 12 years in prison, also admitted possessing 2,614 indecent photographs of children, but denied 16 charges of making indecent photographs of children under 16.

Those charges will lie on file.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Mark Scott, of Newmarket CID, who led the investigation into Mansfield's Internet activities, branded him "a predator" and said the case sent out an important message to parents.

He said: "The whole episode has been a learning experience as this is one of the first times a grooming case has ever been successful.

"Suffolk police has specifically targeted computer crime and has introduced an online investigation team and a high-tech unit who are skilled in obtaining evidence from computers and IT equipment and their work was vital in bringing this prosecution.

"There is a clear message which has emerged from this, which is that parents need to become computer literate in order to successfully monitor their children's online activities.

"But there is also a message to criminals that these incidents will not be tolerated."

The case has been adjourned for sentencing until December 10 at Ipswich Crown Court. Mansfield was remanded in custody.