A PENSIONER who sexually assaulted two schoolgirls has begun a three-year jail term.

Brian Waddington, 66, showered young girls with gifts and offered his two victims cash to let him indecently assault them.

Burnley Crown Court heard how one of the children felt scared, dirty and ashamed after Waddington molested her.

Waddington claimed one victim encouraged him to assault the other and that it was a "huge joke".

Sentencing him, Judge David Pirie said he was passing a longer than normal sentence to protect the public from serious harm. He told Waddington, who committed the offences while on licence from a five-year prison sentence for sex offences, that he presented a continuing risk to young people. The defendant had followed a sex offenders' treatment programme while in prison and continued after his release, but still offended.

Waddington, of Russell Place, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to two allegations of indecent assault and two of incitement to commit acts of gross indecency.

He served his previous jail term for a total of 11 offences - five indecent assaults, four of taking indecent photographs and two charges of gross indecency with children.

The court heard Waddington lived alone. He befriended young girls, bought them gifts of clothing and let them stay at his house.

After attacking one girl he slipped money into her pocket, saying: "Here you are, that's for being a good girl." Waddington offered the second victim cash to perform a sex act on him.

When interviewed, the pensioner said he got "impulses" and thought one girl was paying him attention. He knew what he was doing was wrong and would go around his home dressed in a bath robe, if not less.

Keith Harrison, defending, said Waddington had taken advantage of the girls, although in their immature way, they were not as shy as may have been suggested. They stole his wallet, and his cash offers had not shocked them. Mr Harrison added: "There are no winners in this case."

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