A TEENAGER who sexually abused a young girl was shown clemency following his victim's plea not to 'ruin his life'.

Jordan Allport carried out the vile assaults several years ago when he turned a fun game into a sickening sexual ordeal for the young girl.

He persuaded the youngster to put on a blindfold before playing a game where they had to determine what she was touching.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the game started with innocuous objects such as fruit and a remote control but soon descended into genitalia.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said: "They took turns touching things and then it became 'what's in my mouth'.

"It started with food and a television remote control and then progressed the defendant putting her hand on his genitals.

"He put a blindfold on himself and pulled down her pyjama bottoms and touched her."

Mr Bennett added: "In June 2019 she was learning about sex education and decided to tell the teacher about what happened to her and the police were called."

The teenager was subsequently arrested and interviewed by police were he made admissions about the sexual assaults.

The 19-year-old, of Parkway Grove, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to three charges – sexual assault on a child under 13; encourage a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act; and sexual activity with a child.

Christine Egerton, in mitigation, told the court how Allport had endured a troubled childhood his life went 'off the rails' in 2019.

She said: "In his interview he admitted touching her genitals and getting her to touch his.

"It is right of course that he didn't make the fullest admission that he could have done."

Miss Egerton said that during his pre-sentence report he had struggled to come to terms with some of the things he did and 'had tried to block out what happened since'.

She said he was disgusted by his own actions and told the court that the victim said 'she didn't want his life ruined'.

Judge Stephen Ashurst sentenced Allport to 18 months in a young offender's institute but suspended it for two years.

He said: "You embarked on a game with her which you turned into an indecent game – she was an innocent."