A man delivering charity bags door-to-door put his hand up the skirt of a teenage girl in school uniform waiting outside a friend’s house, a court was told.

On his own admission, Andrius Miliauskas was under the influence of alcohol when he saw the 14-year-old girl on a street, in Seaham, at 8am on Thursday July 7, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the girl was waiting for a friend to leave her home, when Miliauskas walked past, saying: “Good morning”, as he was making the doorstep delivery of charity clothing bags.

Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, said shortly afterwards the defendant approached the girl again and placed his hand up her skirt.

Read more: County Durham man admits sexually assaulting female passenger

The girl told police the stranger clenched her bottom, over her tights and under clothing, for about five seconds.

As he did so, she said he whispered to her something like: “You’re very pretty”, or, “you’re beautiful.”

Mr Hopkins said Miliauskas then walked away and the girl said she reacted by laughing nervously, and then crying, not knowing what was going to happen.

She was afraid he might come back and rape her, as there was no-one else around in the vicinity.

Mr Hopkins said a few minutes later the girl was found sobbing by a witness who tracked down the defendant and confronted him about what he had done.

Miliauskas apologised, repeating: “I’m sorry”, and the witness noted that he smelled of alcohol at the time.

The defendant was arrested and when interviewed he accepted deliberately touching the girl without her consent, although he claimed it was on her thigh and not her bottom.

Read more: County Durham man convicted of child rapes sentenced as 'offender of concern'

He accepted she was a young girl, but he denied saying anything to her and said he could not explain his actions.

Mr Hopkins added that the defendant did concede his reaction was not good and he told police he was not happy with himself over what he did.

In her victim impact statement, the girl said she now wears her skirt to a lower length than before and gets a little anxious when men pass by, which she did not do previously.

She also said she no longer calls at her friend’s home on the way to school.

Mr Hopkins said the 46-year-old defendant, of Snowdon Terrace, Ryhope, Sunderland, only has a single conviction, for an unrelated matter dating back 12 years, but he did receive a police caution for sexual assault, in 2009.

The court heard that in his pre-sentence report it stated that he told a Probation Officer the caution was issued for touching the breasts of an adult woman that he knew, while they were drinking in a pub.

Miliauskas, who was representing himself, was assisted by a Lithuanian interpreter during the hearing.

He admitted a single count of sexual assault, relating to the incident in July.

The court heard that a probation officer, in Sunderland, who deals with foreign nationals and who is aware of the circumstances of the case, believes the priority for the defendant is to receive supervision and mentoring, as there is not considered to be, "a pattern of similar offending", despite his earlier caution.

Judge Jo Kidd said she believed the offence was probably committed while the defendant was “disinhibited”, while heavily under the influence of alcohol.

But she said it was accepted that it was probably a spontaneous act and that he was not specifically targeting a child.

Read next:

               County Durham rapist poses 'high risk' of sexual harm to women

               Sex offender went to Ireland for funeral rather than Durham Crown Court for trial

               Aycliffe man, 65, reacted angrily when confronted about sex offences

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here

Judge Kidd said she hoped, with supervision, it would help to offer the public protection from him committing repeat offences, on either adult or child victims.

Imposing an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, she ordered the defendant to attend eight probation rehabilitation activity days.

She also made him subject to a Sexual Harm Protection Order and registration as a sex offender, both for ten years.