AN ACCRINGTON father of two who had secret sex sessions with an innocent schoolgirl is starting a three- year jail term his second for abusing young girls.

Gary Hutchinson, 39, was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and two of a serious sex offence by a Burnley Crown Court jury, after a four day trial.

The defendant, who has previous convictions for sex offences against another schoolgirl, was also given a five year extended licence period by Judge Alan Taylor.

The judge banned him from working with children and put him on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

The defendant, formerly of Longridge and recently living at Highfield House bail hostel, Lydia Street, Accrington, had denied the charges against him.

He had claimed he and the girl did have sex but only after she turned 16.

The jury had been told how Hutchinson was married and living with his wife when he committed the offences against the latest victim about five years ago.

He groped the girl, said to be infatuated by him, kissed her, committed a sex act on her behind a church in Longridge and twice performed serious sex acts on her.

The girl told the court she was really drunk on one occasion and had been getting drunk on another.

She said the defendant was her first sexual encounter, he had told her not to be shy and she had thought she was in love with him.

The girl said she did not properly understand what was happening at the time and she would not go along with it now. She said she could have gave got away from the defendant but did not know how. She continued: "It upset me then but I don't shed a tear for it now."

The victim added she had been shocked by what the defendant did to her but tried to forget it when she went back to school.

Hutchinson claimed to the court he and the girl only had sex after she was 16. He alleged: "I didn't want it to happen but eventually it did."