A man has been jailed for four years after carrying out sexual activity with a girl of eight.
Stephen Agate, 34, a factory worker, of London Road, Burgess Hill, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday.
He admitted a charge of causing an eight-year old girl known to him to engage in sexual activity at a hearing last month.
Agate had also admitted an offence of sexual activity with the girl but the court did not impose a separate penalty for that.
He denied a charge of sexual assault on the same girl and the court directed this should not be proceeded with and should lay on the court file
Agate was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, to last indefinitely, severely restricting his access to children, and will be a registered sex offender for life.
Judge David Rennie said Agate's crimes were an abuse of trust' and 'had a bad impact on that little girl'.
DC Dani Flude of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said; "Agate systematically exploited the natural innocence and vulnerability of a young child for his own sexual gratification.”
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