A GIRL of 11 turned amateur detective to trap a pervert who pestered her for kisses and wanted to take photos of her.

David Peckett, 71, asked the child if she liked sex and if she knew the meaning of words of a sexual nature.

The puzzled youngster got a recording device when her family said she might have been mistaken about what Peckett said.

He was caught saying: “You’re gorgeous. When am I going to get my kiss? You’re lovely. I fancy you. Don’t you fancy me?”

Peckett tried to separate her from two friends, and asked her to go on a “treasure hunt” in his car, a court heard yesterday.

When one of the others asked if she could join them, he said there was no room - despite him driving a people-carrier.

Peckett’s wife and daughter gasped in the Teesside Crown Court public gallery when details of his behaviour emerged.

His barrister, Paul Cleasby, said they were standing by the pensioner, but had not forgiven him for what he did last May.

Peckett, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, walked free from court because of his ill-health and previous good character.

He was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and put on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Judge Howard Crowson told him: “It is perfectly clear that you are ashamed of what you have done, and your family is.

“They are yet to forgive you for your behaviour, and it may be something you have to work at over the following months.”

The court heard that the grandad-of-six appeared friendly to the girls until he started making inappropriate sexualised comments.

The retired miner asked “his favourite” if she liked sex - and the innocent child thought he was talking about insects.

He asked two of the girls if they would like to go to his home in Hawlbeck Bungalows to have their photographs taken.

Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi told Judge Crowson that after his arrest, he insisted he was not drawn to children.

But when he was confronted with the recording, he admitted a charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Cleasby said: “There is no doubt his behaviour was absolutely disgraceful. He has let himself and his family down.

"His wife has known him for 53 years, and they have brought up a large family together.

"She can properly state that this behaviour is entirely out of character.

"She has not forgiven him for behaving in such a way, but stands by him and recognises that this is not his normal character.”