A CONVICTED sex offender who groped a schoolgirl is behind bars after a court heard how the attack had a serious impact on her life.

The youngster turned to alcohol to blot out the experience and has since needed counselling to help her cope, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Lee Disley - convicted in 2001 for sexual activity with a child - was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault after a three-day trial last month.

The 22-year-old, of Chandos Street, Darlington, was yesterday jailed for a year and put on the sex offenders' register for a further ten years.

Judge Howard Crowson also imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which prohibits Disley from having any unsupervised contact with under-16s.

The judge told him he was a risk, and added: "I don't consider a non-custodial sentence, or non-immediate custodial sentence is appropriate in this case."

The court heard how Disley repeatedly tried to move his hand towards the elasticated top of the girl's underwear after putting it down her skirt.

Judge Crowson described it as "a sustained attack" and told him: "She tried to stop it and you persisted with it on three separate occasions."

He added: "It is gratifying to hear she is taking advantage of a great deal of help, and she is better for it, but it has had a serious impact.

"You will appreciate the great upset caused by your actions when affected by drink . . . you out your hand down her skirt, towards her pants."

Simon Perkins, mitigating, had earlier urged the judge not to jail Disley, telling the court: "He will be vulnerable in prison. It will hit him hard.

"The real society need is for this young man to get on a track where he understands what the boundaries to his behaviour are. He needs intervention."

During the trial, Disley described the incident as "play-fighting", and Mr Perkins said it was "a misinterpretation of what he saw as innocent but was not".

In an impact statement, the victim said her "extreme anger" had lessened over time, she has stopped drinking but still worries about the impact on her life.

Disley was given a suspended sentence with sex offender treatment three years ago after pleading guilty to having a relationship with a 14-year-old.