A PRIVATE hire driver has been told he is going to prison for sexually abusing a teenage girl passenger with learning difficulties.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, warned Mohammed Adrees it would be impossible to avoid an immediate jail sentence after a jury convicted him of molesting the 17-year-old Bradford student on the 35 minute journey to her college.

Adrees, 44, of Ryan Street, West Bowling, Bradford, was today found guilty of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, on April 1 last year.

The jurors convicted him by a majority verdict of 10-2.

He was cleared of two further charges of sexually assaulting the girl at the same time.

His barrister, Kate Batty, asked the court to adjourn sentence for a probation report.

She said Adrees was a man of previous good character with a settled address in the city.

Judge Thomas asked the Crown to obtain an updated victim impact statement from the Bradford victim, now aged 19.

He rebailed Adrees with a condition that he does not contact the teenager or go within a hundred metres of her address. He was also ordered to immediately sign on the sex offender's register.

Judge Thomas told Adrees: "It is impossible to see how this does not result in an immediate prison sentence."

He said the conviction would prevent him from working as a cabbie again.

Adrees must return to Bradford Crown Court on August 12.

Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh said the teenager was transported to college in the mornings by a Euro Cars cab provided by the local authority.

Adrees asked her to move to the front passenger seat before touching her indecently and making her put her hand on his penis.

The court heard that Adrees was not the girl's usual driver and it was only the second time he had taken her on the journey.

She was talking to him about pop groups and her boyfriend.

Mr Greenhalgh said Adrees stopped his vehicle and asked her to sit in the front passenger seat.

She did so because she "didn't want to be rude".

He told her not to say anything about what he had done when they arrived at the college.

The next morning, the girl confided to her mother and the police were informed.