A TEENAGER who sexually assaulted a little boy has kept his freedom -- but was told by a judge he would probably have gone to custody if he had been older.

The 17-year-old student -- who cannot be named for legal reasons -- was given a six month supervision order after recently being convicted of indecent assault following a trial at Burnley Crown Court. He will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for two-and-a-half years.

The court had earlier been told how the Burnley youth had fondled the youngster, a pupil at a children's club run by his mother, but denied the allegation.

Sentencing the defendant, who had no previous convictions, Judge David Pirie said although the teenager's barrister had described the offence against the seven-year-old child as trivial, it was not and was serious.

The youth had worked as a volunteer at the club and had been in a position of trust.

The judge went on: "For this sort of offence, had you been say 25 years old or something like that, you would have been extremely likely to lose your liberty."

Judge Pirie added that the teenager, who had recently been taking A-levels, was a young man of "considerable ability" and it would be wrong to send him to detention.