A 53-year-old child abuser has been sent to prison for 18 months after he admitted repeatedly molesting his victim over an eight-week period.

Raymond Carr got to know the 12-year-old girl in 1998 and began indecently assaulting her after she went to stay the night at his Shipley flat.

Prosecutor Lesley Dickinson told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that during her stay in the flat Carr had given the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, several glasses of wine.

"The complainant went in the bathroom and changed into her nightdress," said Miss Dickinson.

"She returned, by this time feeling groggy with the wine, and got into bed to watch television."

Miss Dickinson said Carr, who was 46 at the time, lay next to the girl and began kissing her on the neck.

After he indecently assaulted the shocked youngster she locked herself in the bathroom and only came out when Carr assured her it was safe.

Miss Dickinson said the girl was too frightened to report the incident and a few weeks later she visited Carr's flat where he again kissed and fondled her.

Carr, who had no previous convictions for sexual offences, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault relating to those two incidents, but he also admitted a further two indecent assault allegations, which Miss Dickinson said were sample offences.

She explained that Carr went on to commit further indecent assaults on the girl after giving her lifts in his car.

The victim eventually reported the attacks in 2003 and Carr, of Marshfields Street, Bradford, was arrested in September last year.

During police interviews he denied being responsible for any offences against the girl and he did not enter his guilty pleas to the charges until his case was listed for trial.

Barrister Michelle Colborne, for Carr, said her client had not taken his offending beyond indecent assaults.

Judge James Spencer QC said Carr had taken an opportunity to become friendly with the girl so that he could engage in sexual activity with her.

"Of course you will be sentenced only for what you did and not for what you might have done had you been more unscrupulous," he said.

"But nevertheless you exploited her vulnerability and over a long period you sexually assaulted her so that in due course it became commonplace when you saw her."