A 15 year old babysitter who sexually abused a little girl of six was today starting a two-year detention and training order.

The teenager, whom a judge ordered should not be named, had earlier been convicted of six counts of indecent assault, after a trial at Burnley Crown Court.

Sentencing him, Judge David Pirie said no course other than custody could be justified.

He said the victim was a "very young child," and the defendant had been entrusted by the child's parents to look after her.

The 15 year old, from Colne, was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

He had denied the charges against him,and, the court was told, still maintained his innocence. The teenager, who was 14 when he committed the offences, had no previous convictions.

Robert Crawford, defending, said the case was difficult and it was also a difficult sentencing exercise.

The defendant still maintained a "stark denial," over what happened.

The ordeal of a trial in a crown court must have been a very considerable obstacle for the defendant to overcome and he and his family had had the proceedimngs hanging over them for a year.

The 15 year old's relations had been very supportive of him, still were and had been staggered by the verdict of the jury. They had every faith the defendant was telling the truth and were extremely upset by what happened..

Mr Crawford said the 15 year old had never been in trouble before and if he was responsible for the offences, he needed help rather than punishment.

He would not get help if he was in any sort of institution and was certainly not going to get any sort of assistance in a Young Offenders' Institution.

The barrister, who urged the court to give serious consideration to a supervision order, said the defendant would have an horrendous time in a young offenders' institution.