A PAEDOPHILE who sexually abused an underage girl wept as he was jailed for 12 years.

Christopher Franks was convicted by a jury of five counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.

The jury of 10 reached a majority verdict in favour of conviction on five of the six counts on the indictment, finding Franks not guilty of a single count of sexual activity with a child.

Franks, aged 57, wept and wiped his eyes as judge Robert Juckes QC sentenced him for the offences which took place between January 2013 and September 2015.

Daniel White, prosecuting, read out part of a victim impact statement. The victim said: “Everything has changed as a result of what he did. It has been heartbreaking.”

The girl said she had struggled with relationships and found she could not trust people easily as a result of what Franks did to her.

Mr White said it was in the most serious bracket for the offence, with aggravating features of the case including the use of alcohol, grooming behaviour and a significant disparity in age between Franks and the victim.

The girl was said to be 13 when the abuse started.

A sexual harm prevention order was made which will prevent Franks, of Sedgefield Walk, Bromsgrove, from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 other than what is inadvertent or unavoidable in the course of daily life.

Martin Butterworth, defending, said: “It’s obvious for a man of his age with his past that a custodial sentence will be difficult.”

Judge Juckes said it was an aggravating feature that Franks had been forgiven by the victim but then indulged in exactly the same behaviour despite previous warnings, seizing the opportunity to abuse her again.

He said: “You have, apart from this offence, led a constructive life and it is a terrible thing to see you put in the position you have put yourself in.”

He said of the victim: “She did not know what to do. She was trying to think of some way to help herself.” Franks was jailed for 12 years and must sign the sex offender register indefinitely.