Man was caught in his pants with 15-year-old girl

Simon Durant was wearing just a T-shirt and boxer shorts when police broke the locks on his flat door and burst in after being tipped off he was inside with a 15-year-old girl.

Dramatic body-worn video footage played in court showed the 41-year-old, of Crane Close, Gosport, lying on his back with his knees to his chest as police burst in.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was hiding under a duvet behind the sofa in the flat.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard he had been arrested after being snared on a hidden camera kissing and cuddling the girl.

He was arrested for that then released on bail.

Martyn Booth, prosecuting, said Durant kept the child at his flat and they had sex.

Mr Booth said: ‘This is someone who has an in-built attraction to young girls.’

Officers searching his flat found a framed photo of the girl, who had been at his flat for two nights, in his bedroom along with a sex toy.

There is no suggestion he forced the girl into the activity and in his basis of plea it was described as consensual.

Mr Booth added: ‘We’re not saying he took her away but he did keep her there.’

Prior to his arrest Durant, sent messages to the girl, including one that said he wanted to ‘pick you up and never take you back’.

Durant, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child and one of child abduction.

Sentencing Durant to three years and four months in prison, judge Ian Pearson said: ‘I accept that the acts between you were consensual. There’s no evidence of any force being used by you and the victim in this case was willing but the law is there to protect young girls from exploitation from older men.’

The court heard there was evidence Durant continued to write to the girl from prison.

The judge handed Durant a restraining order banning him from contacting the girl for five years.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for life and given a sexual harm prevention order banning him from having unsupervised contact with any child under 16. That order lasts for 10 years.

Daniel Reilly, defending, said Durant has mild learning difficulties.

Mr Reilly added that Durant accepts responsibility for his actions late last year.