A MAN who admitted inciting a young girl to perform disgusting sexual acts when he lived in Chard has been spared jail.

Kevin Rodgers, 42, pleaded guilty to four counts involving gross indecency and indecent assault on a girl under 13 at Taunton Crown Court last week.

Rodgers, who now lives in Belmont Street in Bristol, pleaded guilty to one count of indecency with a girl under the age of 14 between 1998 and 2002.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to committing an act of indecency, and a further count of indecent assault on the same victim between July 19, 2001 and June 26, 2002.

Rodgers also admitted to indecency with a child between July 19, 1998 and June 26, 2002 after he incited a child to sit on his face while she was naked.

The court heard that Rodgers’ abuse stopped after he was arrested in 2002 for sexual crimes against other children.

On that occasion, he was sentenced to six years in prison for performing sexual acts on seven young boys aged six to 12.

He has since returned to prison three times for breaching his sexual harm prevention order, including in 2007 when he was spotted loitering outside a school in Bridgwater, and his latest offence in 2011 for which he served three-years in prison.

Paul Cook, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “He is now 42 years old. At the time of these offences he lived in Chard. It is believed this abuse started when the victim was about four years old.”

The court also heard that Rodgers had exposed himself to the victim, and on one occasion he had laid on top of her when they were both naked.

In the victim’s impact statement, she said: “During the time of the incidents, I was left feeling like I was the only one doing something wrong. I was supposed to trust adults and I trusted him. I couldn’t understand the point of living.”

Peter Binder, mitigating, said: “The pattern of offending was quite regular, quite distinctive and quite serious, but since then things appear to have changed greatly.

“He was released from his last custodial sentence in October 2012. He has served the equivalent of a 10-year sentence. Since then there is nothing to suggest he has committed any further offence.

“He has found work, secure accommodation and seems to have developed an understanding and a commitment to managing danger or risk he poses to children.

“The defendant has come to recognise his responsibility to his behaviour. He does now appear motivated to break the cycle.”

Recorder Donald Tait said: “These offences preceded the sentence in 2002. If these matters had been sentenced in 2002, how much longer would you have received in prison?

“I have been greatly helped by the pre-sentence report. It addresses significant issues and comes to the conclusion that, having not offended in six years, that the defendant can be managed within the community.”

Rodgers was sentenced to a three-year community order, a 90-day rehabilitation programme, three years of supervision by the probation service, and an electronic curfew between 6pm an 3am.

The judge added: “If you do reoffend in the future, there is only one place you will be going and it will be for a very long time. The only way that could be addressed is by locking you up.

“This is your last opportunity, Mr Rodgers, before it is prison, prison and prison again.”