A PERVERT who sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl over an 18-month period has been jailed for three years.

Lee Woodend, aged 32, of Union Road, Tonge Moor, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault by causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday heard how Woodend gained a position of trust with the girl's mother and was allowed, on occasions, to look after her.

When he was alone with the girl he sexually assaulted her over a period of 18 months.

The victim's mother told the court that the assaults had left her daughter, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, traumatised with vivid nightmares. "Three weeks ago, she started having bad nightmares. It takes hours for me to calm her down. She won't go to sleep at night," her mother said.

"She stopped eating. She didn't want to go to school. She started being and sitting on her own. She found it very difficult to communicate with her brothers and sisters."

Lisa Judge, prosecuting, said the abuse came to light when the mother discovered Woodend had been secretly filming her and reported him to the police.

Woodend, who also pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism, had drilled a hole in the floor of a room which looked into the woman's bedroom and illicitly filmed her. Jeoffrey Samuels, defending, said Woodend denied the sexual assault, but admitted he had become "almost addicted" to watching the tapes of the girl's mother.

Sentencing, Judge Mort said he hoped time would help heal the child's mental scars.

He added: "This child was only eight years old. It seems to be inevitable, as you were in a position of trust that behaviour like this towards a child results in a prison sentence to protect the public and to punish you."

Woodend was sentenced to three years for the sexual offences and eight months for the voyeurism offences, to run concurrently. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and will spend 18 months on licence when he is released.