WILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A SWIMMING coach who struck-up a relationship with a 13-year-old girl is facing jail for a string of sex assaults.

Married father-of-three Stephen Hartley, a former voluntary coach with Warminster and District Amateur Swimming Club, had a three-year relationship with a girl 31 years his junior.

The scandal was uncovered when the victim, now 16, went to the police and told the full story of her relationship with Hartley, who is employed by the Ministry of Defence.

Officers from the Child Protection Unit launched an inquiry and arrested Hartley, of Hawkeridge Park, Westbury, on child sex assault allegations.

PC Vicky Brady, who led the investigation, said the 48-year-old groomed his victim from the start.

She said: "It was an ongoing relationship between them so at the time it was construed as a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship, albeit she was a young child and he was a much older man.

"They used to meet all over the place. She was clearly groomed by him. The victim viewed it as some love affair at the time but certainly from a professional point of view she was a young child.

"This girl has been so incredibly brave. It is a really sad case. It is not like this happened once or twice, it was a long relationship stretching over several years.

"It has been so hard for her parents. You can't imagine it."

Inquiries are now focussing on Warminster Swimming Club where Hartley used to coach on a voluntary basis until the end of last year.

No senior members of the swimming club were willing to comment on Hartley's involvement with the club but inquiries are continuing with the NSPCC playing a role.

DC Leisure, which runs Warminster Sports Centre where Hartley used to hold coaching sessions, said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case until after sentencing.

A spokesman for West Wiltshire District Council, which owns the leisure facility, said police-checks would only have been carried out on employees working for the authority or DC Leisure.

Hartley's wife and three adult children, who are standing by him, were in Swindon Crown Court on Friday when he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one of gross indecency between August 2000 and October 2002.

Hartley was remanded in custody at a previous hearing for breaking bail conditions by contacting the victim.

Judge Thomas Longbotham warned the former coach: "You will be remanded in custody and I have made it clear to you that the likely outcome you should prepare for is the imposition of a substantial term of imprisonment.

"You have pleaded guilty to very serious charges. It is a question of how long, not a question of whether you should go to prison or not."

Wiltshire Probation Service will carry out a risk assessment and full pre-sentence report in time for a sentencing hearing on January 23.