THE mislaying of a SIM card while working abroad brought a 32-year-old man’s illicit sexual relationship with an underage girl to light, a court heard.

Plasterer Christopher Scott Partridge left the phone attachment in Gran Canaria while working on behalf of a man with property interests in both the Canary island and in County Durham.

When the Spanish property owner came across the card he examined it, revealing a video of Partridge involved in sexual activity with a girl.

Durham Crown Court was told it was reported to police in the UK, on November 6.

Rupert Doswell, prosecuting, said the girl featured was spoken to and she admitted having had a sexual relationship with Partridge, sometimes when he was working on plastering jobs.

She told police she was unaware any of their activity had been filmed.

Mr Doswell said other than the video there was also an exchange of increasingly sexualised messages between the pair, plus the sharing of intimate images of each other, as well as an unconnected scene of bestiality featuring an unknown woman.

When interviewed, Partridge confirmed he recorded the video, but claimed the girl was aware he had done so, and said the relationship had been going on for about six to seven weeks.

Mr Doswell read from a statement given by the girl’s mother in which she spoke of the great impact it had on not only her daughter, but also the whole family.

Partridge, of previous good character, admitted ten offences, seven relating to sexual activity with a child aged under 16 and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but two relating to making an indecent image of a child and one of possessing extreme pornography.

Paul Cross, mitigating, said: “He doesn’t know what he was thinking about, but it came about after his previous relationship collapsed.”

Mr Cross said following that breakdown, Partridge suffered depression, but stopped taking prescribed medication, and unburdened his problems on the girl.

“It was a relationship that developed, but, as someone much older, he should have put a stop to it.

“He allowed it to become sexual. That was his fault.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll described Partridge as, “an opportunist” and told him he “positively encouraged” the relationship to develop.

“There’s no escaping it, this was an abusive relationship, for your own sexual needs.”

Partridge, of Cleveland Place, Peterlee, was given an eight-year prison sentence and must register as a sex offender for life.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order prohibiting contact with the girl, both “indefinitely”.