A MEDITATION guru who led sessions in people’s homes admitted abusing a young girl in the 1970s and 80s.

Buddha Maitreya abused a girl who was aged between three and eight years old when he visited her family home in Brighton.

The 80-year-old, who has followers around the world, was a regular visitor to the family home as a monk.

He was invited to host meditation sessions for Buddhists in their homes.

Maitreya, whose real name is Koji Takeuchi, told the victim they were “boyfriend and girlfriend” and told her to keep it a secret.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said her life has been ruined because of the sexual abuse.

At Hove Crown Court Judge Jeremy Gold QC said Maitreya had abused the trust of the family and the girl, and jailed the sex offender for eight years.

Maitreya has followers around the world, and in 2015 featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s television series Britain’s Best Back Gardens.

The garden had 10,000 visitors a year going to the garden in Nottinghamshire.

But the Zen master was disguising the grubby secret of sexually abusing the girl.

Gabby Henty, prosecuting, said: “When she was aged three, her parents created a relationship with the defendant. He used to come to their house for mediation sessions.

“He was a monk and this was a significant event. Community posters were put up to ask people to come and take part.”

Takeuchi, 80, started abusing the girl from the first occasion he was alone with her.

“He would say to her I’m your boyfriend and you’re my girlfriend, this is a secret between us,” Mrs Henty said.

“She thought he was rough, forceful, firm and insistent.”

The girl told her mother who confronted the monk, who said there was nothing abusive.

In a harrowing impact statement, his victim said her life had been ruined by the abuse.

She said: “I had been taken advantage of and groomed by this man at my most vulnerable.

“I reached out to adults but there had never been any action. He was a trusted adult, respected and powerful. I have always thought I wasn’t believed.

“What Buddha Maitreya has done has destroyed me. I was a little girl at home. I should have been safe with my parents.

“He took advantage of that and of me. I could have had a whole different life if someone had looked out for me, if someone had saved me, if Buddha Maitreya had never abused me.

“He took away my childhood and I will never get that back.”