A MAN considered an upstanding member of the community is facing a jail sentence after being convicted of indecently assaulting a girl.

Alan Eilbeck, 62, carried out assaults on the ten-year-old girl over a period of approximately eight months.

Durham Crown Court was told that the incidents only came to light in February when the girl told her mother of his behaviour.

Eilbeck, a married man with no previous convictions, denied four counts of indecent assault, dating from June last year to February.

But he was convicted by unanimous jury verdicts on all four charges on the third day of his trial yesterday.

Judge Tim Hewitt adjourned the case for reports to be prepared on Eilbeck by the Probation Service prior to sentence.

The judge asked for the author of the reports to assess the risk of further similar offending in future by Eilbeck.

Judge Hewitt bailed Eilbeck, of Local Avenue, Sherburn Hill, near Durham, to return for sentence next month.

But he warned the former miner: "The fact you are being admitted to bail and the fact a report is being prepared is no indication as to the likelihood of what the sentence will be.

"It's highly likely you will receive a custodial sentence, but I need to obtain information as to future risk before I determine the exact sentence."

Eilbeck must also sign the sex offenders' register, and will be told at the next hearing how long he will be required to remain on it.

The court heard the first incident took place in the man's garden shed after he sat the girl on his knee.

Subsequent offences were said to have been carried out in various rooms in the house, some while his wife was taking a bath.

Julie Clemitson, prosecution, said the girl eventually told her mother that the man touched her in places he should not have done.

Eilbeck denied any of the incidents took place and said he could not understand why the girl would invent such stories.

A character reference by Councillor Ray Pye, the Durham County Council member for Sherburn, referring to Eilbeck's standing in the community, was read to the hearing.

Eilbeck will be sentenced in four weeks' time by Judge Hewitt.