A TEENAGER has been jailed for four years for a string of child sex offences including sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl and possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Jack Langdon, 19, from Minehead, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault in Minehead in December 2015 and was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Thursday, August 25.

The court heard that Langdon, who committed the offences within eight weeks of being given a community order for sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, was babysitting the child when the assault occurred.

The court also heard Langdon had told a probation officer the girl had been acting 'flirty' and had 'a sexual need that needed to be met'.

Robert Duval, prosecuting, said the victim told her mother that she had been sat on the sofa watching television when the assault occurred, and also said that Langdon had 'naughty images' on his phone.

The mother informed the police and Langdon was arrested on November 25 last year at Taunton Bus Station, where police also confiscated his Samsung Galaxy mobile phone.

Further investigation found Langdon had five movies showing Category A child abuse, one Category A image, a Category B movie and two images, and three Category C images.

The court heard that Langdon had distributed one of the images to another person under a false identity. He posed as young woman called Beth Bosley and would encourage young women to share indecent images of themselves.

In mitigation, solicitor Harry Ahuja, said the sexual assault had been over clothing and only lasted a matter of seconds.

"His psychological report shows he is insecure, anxious, has a low mental and emotional age compared to his physical age. He also has some learning difficulties," Mr Ahuja said.

Sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst said: "You are a young man at the age of 19, and on July 17 last year you were sentenced by me to complete a community order following five offences of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

"When sentencing you on that occasion I took into account the circumstances of the offending, the difficulties you had and the intention was that you would be able to address your behaviour.

"But within weeks of that sentencing you committed these further offences, the most serious of which is a sexual assault on a nine-year-old girl.

"You committed this offence when you were trusted by the family as a babysitter, you were working for them and you were allowed to sleep on their sofa. You abused that trust," Judge Ticehurst said.

Judge Ticehurst sentenced Langdon to four years in prison and handed him a sexual harm prevention order.

"I consider the fact you did this under a false identity, which shows you can be manipulative despite your learning difficulties, as an aggravating feature," Judge Ticehurst added.

"I have no doubt that you knew perfectly well what you were doing. I know it may not seem like it now but this sentence is intended to help you, take advantage of the opportunities in prison to address your behaviour."