A man who sexually molested a 13-year-old girl he met in a park after plying her with lemonade spiked with vodka has been jailed for 12 months.

David Carroll, of Park Avenue, Saltaire, made sexual suggestions to the teenager after she followed him down a snicket and then committed a sex act on himself while she was on the ground, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Carroll pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child on the basis that the activity was consensual and he did not know her age.

The court heard that Carroll met the youngster in a park in the Bingley area and gave her Sprite.

She said the drink made her feel strange and afterwards said it was laced with vodka.

She lost her shoes while feeling the effects of the alcohol and Carroll said he would help to find them.

While they were in the snicket, he asked her to perform a sex act on him, which she refused.

Later he gave her ‘love bites’ and committed the sex act.

The girl at first denied that anything had happened with Carroll.

But her mother was suspicious and called the police, the court heard.

Rebecca Young, Carroll’s barrister, said he was a binge drinker and under the influence of alcohol at the time he committed the offence.

He had no particular interest in young girls and the offence was out of character, she said.

Carroll took a liking to the girl, whom he had not met before, and did not use any force on her, and he was the sole carer for his poorly father and his partner had recently had their child, the court heard.

Judge Neil Clark told Carroll that only a sentence of immediate imprisonment was appropriate.

He said the public expected the courts to protect children from such offending.

Carroll must sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and he was made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.