A MAN who indecently assaulted a girl by pulling down her underwear then exposed his genitals has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

At Bolton Crown Court 49-year-old Darren McCallion was convicted by a jury of indecently assaulting the girl on one occasion when she was aged between nine and 12.

Rachel Faux, prosecuting, told the court how McCallion has been alone with the girl in the kitchen of a house when he sat her on the kitchen worktop, took off her underwear and dropped his trousers.

The offence ended when he was disturbed by someone else coming into the property.

In a victim impact statement read out in court the girl said the abuse had made it hard for her to trust men.

"It destroyed my life and made me feel dirty," she said.

Judge Graeme Smith was told how, 30 years ago, McCallion was convicted of approaching a woman and exposing himself to her.

Paul Becker, defending, told the court how McCallion, of Tarbet Drive, Breightmet, has lost his job as a result of his most recent conviction against the girl.

Judge Smith said that it is not known whether the offence would have progressed to one more serious had McCallion not been disturbed, but stressed that he had to sentence him for what did happen, not what might have happened.

He sentenced McCallion to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, and he will be subject to supervision by the probation service for 12 months.

Judge Smith also made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order and he will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.