Locations
Higher Roborough, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13
Description
A Devon man has been jailed for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
Jason Pagan, 48, told the child he was just playing when his tickling turned into sexual touching, Exeter Crown Court heard.
He touched the child over her clothing and then massaged her naked buttocks.
The factory worker, of Higher Roborough, Ashburton, was convicted of sexual assault by a jury after a trial in October. He denied doing anything wrong.
He returned to court on Tuesday [January 11] and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The judge was told he still denied the offences but was sorry for the effect on the child.
A judge said she had 'lost her innocence' as a result of the assault. Judge Peter Johnson said: "I've considered with care whether it is appropriate to suspend the sentence and in my view it is not. Whilst it may be said you are capable of being rehabilitated this offence is so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate.
"There is ongoing harm to the young child.
"She has lost her innocence and that's why this must be an immediate custodial sentence."
Ms Kelly Scrivener, prosecuting, said Pagan maintained he had just been innocently playing with the child.
"What the jury did not hear is that he has a number of sexual offences recorded against him," she added.
Pagan was convicted back in 1993 of three offences of indecent assault on a female under 16. The defendant was sent to a Young Offenders Institution for 42 months for those offences. Since then he has been in trouble for criminal damage, dishonesty and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.
Ms Emily Pitts, defending, said the public would be better served with Pagan receiving a suspended sentence.
He had endured a difficult childhood and his life had fallen apart since committing the offence.
She said he was 'ashamed, embarrassed and disgusted' and was living a 'terribly isolated life'.
But she said he was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and was making efforts to get his life back together.
Pagan was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to children and told to sign the sex offender register.