A PAEDOPHILE who abused girls aged five and six while they were playing at his house or sleeping over has been jailed for the historical offences for nine years and six months.

Stephen Wade, aged 59, lured children onto his property in Farnworth with a bouncy castle which he filled with soap and water and would walk around the house naked and invite a girl into the bathroom while he was taking a bath.

The court heard how he would take part in sleepovers with young girls in his house, sharing a double mattress with them and touching them. On at least one occasion he asked a girl to touch his private parts.

Wade, of Wolfenden Street, Astley Bridge, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court for three counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child. He was also sentenced to seven days for breaching his bail as he failed to show up for court on Friday morning and the judge had to issue a warrant for his arrest.

READ MORE: Wade's victims speak about their trauma

His crimes date back to 1999 when he was living in Farnworth having separated from his wife.

The court heard reports of Wade’s offences against one victim who was six at the time from Amanda Johnson prosecuting.

Wade would walk around the house naked when she was there and invite her into the bathroom while he was led in the bath. On another occasion he asked the girl to touch his private parts. The court heard how his victim felt she had to do this because she was told to by an adult.

In her opening statement Ms Johnson told the court Wade had a bouncy castle in his back garden which he would fill with soapy water and used it to attract children onto his property.

On another occasion the girl had a sleepover at Wade’s house and the court heard how he put a mattress on the living room floor with no sheets and that they all slept on it together, it was then that Wade touched the girl telling her to lay still. The next day she told her mother she had not liked the sleepover and her mother did not allow her to sleep there again.

Ms Johnson told the court the victim had not come forward as a young child as she thought she was in the wrong for complying with Wade’s instructions.

Ms Johnson also told the court about Wade’s offences against another girl who was aged four or five when she was abused.

The court heard how the victim had shared a bed with Wade and he would touch her. Wade would follow her around the house and into the toilet and when she was six the victim had told her mother he had touched her.