A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for five years for abusing a young girl.

Adam Hudson initially touched the girl’s private parts over her clothes before stepping up his abuse to touch her under her clothes. graduating to rubbing her skin underneath.

His offending took place over an extended period before the brave victim spoke out to another adult about what had happened after being given a lesson about the topic at school.

The 35-year-old admitted three counts of sexual touching a child under the age of 13 at Colchester Magistrates’ Court in September.

During a sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court, yesterday Judge Christopher Morgan handed Hudson a five-year jail sentence.

“There is no excuse for what you did,” he said.

“The reality of this situation is that you have committed serious sexual offences against a child over a significant period of time.

“The only reason given for it is that you derived some sexual gratification from that behaviour.

“Only a custodial sentence is commensurate to the gravity of your offending.

“In your favour is you have no previous convictions and more than that is you made admissions which has saved the child from coming to court.”

Judge Morgan handed Hudson, of Pondfield Road, Colchester, the five-year-prison term and made him subject to notification requirements indefinitely.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which limits the contact he can have with young children once he is released from prison.

Hudson spent the majority of the hearing with his head bowed and weeping until he was addressed by the judge.

Paul Donegan, mitigating, had asked any sentence be suspended and said Hudson had admitted to his crimes at the earliest possible opportunity including making full admissions to police.

“This is somebody who recognises he has a problem and would be open to rehabilitation requirements which the probation service could request,” he said.

“The evidence suggests group work is not considered to be the most suitable way of rehabilitation and the same problem may occur if he was to be segregated in the vulnerable prisoners unit at a prison.

“It could be that one-to-one work would be best the best way to reduce the risk of reoffending in the future.”