A MAN who cycled up to a young girl in the street as she ran an errand and sexually assaulted her has been jailed for a year.

George Dowse, 29, was found guilty of the attack in Peterlee following a trial at Teesside Crown Court. He denied the offence which dated back to September 18 2012.

The victim said he grabbed her hand and placed it on his penis then tried to kiss her. She later told a friend and police were alerted.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams read from a statement in which the teenager said she was “continually scared” of the possibility of bumping into Dowse again and described the experience of giving evidence in court as horrific.

William Davison, mitigating, said Dowse, of Sledmere Close, Peterlee, had not been pre-meditated in his behaviour.

The barrister said that Dowse, who had previously spent time in a young offenders’ institution, had got himself a home and was now in a relationship and a job.

He said there was no suggestion he could further re-offend and asked Judge Howard Crowson to suspend any jail sentence.

However, the judge said the offence was worthy of an immediate jail sentence and jailed Dowse for a year.

The judge said Dowse was sexually attracted to the girl and had the “arrogance” to think she may feel the same way.

He said: “You effectively grabbed her in the street.”

Dowse was made subject to a five year restraining order and will have to notify police of his movements for the next ten years as a convicted sex offender.