A PERVERT who asked a young child for a pair of her used knickers and was found with a stash of sickening indecent images has been jailed for more than four years.

Julian Pike, 48, bought cigarettes and alcohol for his young victims in an attempt to groom them for his sexual gratification.

However despite admitting two counts of inciting sexual activity with a child and 13 counts of possessing/making indecent images, he was said to remain in denial about his offending and believed he had done nothing wrong.

Pike was wheeled into the court room at Teesside Crown Court in a wheelchair and sat passively throughout the proceedings against him.

The court heard how the mother of one of his two underage victims had raised concerns about Pike's inappropriate conduct with her daughter.

The girl said Pike described piercings he had on his penis when he gave her a lift in his car and also contacted her via Facebook to complain that she had not thanked him when he bought her cigarettes.

When the girl said she would, Pike replied: “Ok, but I expect tongues”.

Pike, of Lowfield, Gayle, Hawes, North Yorkshire, also asked the girl for her underwear. When her mother confronted him he claimed he had been drunk during the exchanges and had forgotten how old the girl was.

In another incident the defendant bought alcohol for a young girl at a music festival and insisted he walk her home.

Putting his arm around her, he said she was special and also told her how he lost his virginity at 14.

The girl went to her grandmother's house and locked herself in a toilet in a bid to get away from him.

When Pike was arrested on May 18 last year at his home a number of indecent images and videos were found on his computer.

Goatee-bearded Pike was said by his barrister Robert Mochrie to be in poor health and suffering from a degenerative disease.

Mr Mochrie claimed boredom had accounted for some of his conduct as he was unable to get out and about.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton said Pike was a significant danger to young girls and had a “predatory interest” in them.

The judge said some of the images seized from Pike were of the grossest kind. He added: “The fact you remain in denial is deeply disturbing.”

He said he took into account Pike's medical condition and his lack of previous convictions and the least sentence he could pass was four years, three months in total. Pike will also be made subject to a sexual offences prevention order and sign on the sex offenders' register.

Detective Constable Steve Alderson, of North Yorkshire police, speaking after the case, said: “I would like to thank the victims in this case for having the bravery to come forward.

“I hope they feel that justice has been done and they can now move forward with their lives.”