A "lonely" pervert got on his knees to fondle a drunk teenage student while he slept.

Barry Whatford had been looking after the 16-year-old boy, who was in the UK to learn English in Brighton.

The impotent 69-year-old had allowed the boy to have a party at his house at Kingsmead in Seaford, days before the teenager was due to return to his country.

But after the boy had got drunk with his friends, Whatford went downstairs and found him asleep in a drunken stupor on the sofa, a court heard.

Whatford then decided to kneel down before the boy and put his hand underneath the blankets.

For several minutes he performed a sex act with his hands under the blanket, fondling the boy around his crotch. The boy remained unaware of what was going on.

Whatford was unaware he was being filmed by other shocked students, who later handed in the footage to the language school and police.

At interview, he was advised not to comment on the contents of the video as the students who filmed it wished to remain anonymous and the victim could not be clearly identified.

But against advice, Whatford admitted his crime, and pleaded guilty to sexual assault at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

He was sent to Lewes Crown Court for sentencing yesterday, where Ryan Richter, prosecuting, read out details of the offence.

Mr Richter said: “The young man could be heard snoring on the video and the defendant was seen to place his hand underneath the blanket around the man’s genitals for several minutes.”

The court was told that Whatford had formed a close friendship with the boy, even though he knew the boy was heterosexual.

He denied having any sexual feelings about the boy himself and said his medication had rendered him impotent.

Andrew Bishop, defending, said Whatford looked after students from the language school who were between 16 and 18 years of age because he had trouble with an older student in the past.

He said that Whatford has a heart condition and was not streetwise enough to go to prison.

Whatford was described as an “isolated” figure, who retired at 54 to care for his mother and had not socialised with many people since her death.

Judge Charles Kemp said: "You were a host father and this boy was in your charge.

"It was a breach of trust and an appalling thing to do, sexually assaulting him when he was incapacitated.

"He was supposed to be looked after by you, but instead you abused him in a thoroughly disgusting fashion for your own delectation.

"You say you have no sexual interest in boys, but no other explanation has been offered for your behaviour.

"The only positive thing is that he still doesn't know what you did."

The judge sentenced Whatford to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years and put him on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Whatford must also complete 32 sessions with the Horizons programme and 30 days rehabilitation as part of a sexual harm prevention order.