A BUSINESSMAN’S “entrenched sexual impropriety” put him at risk of a prison sentence, a court heard.

Neil Callon, 60, “crossed the line” in dealings with much younger women, which eventually led to his actions being reported to police.

Callon, of Queen’s Road, Consett, who runs a graphic design company in Stanley, denied sexually assaulting any of the four women.

But, at Durham Crown Court, he admitted four counts of sexual assault, one relating to each woman.

Glenn Gatland, in mitigation, said the defendant, of previous good character, now recognises his behaviour was “wholly unacceptable”.

Recorder Eric Elliott said the offending, “crossed the custody threshold”, but he could just draw back from passing an immediate prison sentence.

He imposed a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, with 20-probation supervised activity days.

Callon was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, registration as a sex offender, and a restraining order, relating to all four victims, each to run for ten years.