A FATHER has been sentenced to six months jail for having sex with a 15-year-old girl. David Ransom, 38, of Cricklade Road, Swindon, had already pleaded guilty to two charges of unlawful sex with the girl when he appeared before a judge at Swindon Crown Court on September 24.

In court yesterday prosecuting, barrister Tabby Macfarlane described how Ransom and the girl had met in a Swindon social club last year and had begun a relationship.

At the time Mr Ransom thought the girl, who attends a special school, was 17.

But even after he found out that she was 15, he had sex with her twice between May 1 and July 17.

"He agreed he'd had sex with her on two occasions after he was made aware of her true age."

But defence barrister Rosie Collins described the girl as a normal happy go lucky teenager and said the pair had been terribly fond of each other.

She said Ransom was petrified of going to jail and described how much he cared for his 11-year-old son who suffers from severe asthma. "Everyone I've met who knows him speaks very highly of him.

"He made a terrible mistake in relation to this young girl."

Sentencing, Judge Charles Wade said: "At the very outset you didn't know how old she was.

"There did come a time when you were made aware of it and you did go on and have intercourse with her in that knowledge.

"In view of what I've been told today it seems to me there must have been some element of her behaviour that must have made you realise she was a little slow.

"She must have been vulnerable in that situation.

"I have to deal with this case on the basis that you did take advantage of this girl.

"The result appears to be that this is a girl who now has some fear of men and finds it difficult to associate with men.

"You are a man of good character and have read the references that all speak in glowing terms of the sort of man you are.

"But it is an offence to have sex with a girl under 16. You knew what you were doing and how old she was."

The judge ordered that Ransom should spend half of his sentence in jail and the other half out on licence.

Diana Milne