A man who had sex with an underage teenage girl in the back of his car has been jailed.

Jason Damien Phillips, 32, parked up with the girl outside a supermarket in Accrington, and performed sex acts on a number of occasions, Preston Crown Court heard.

He originally denied the offences but admitted his involvement with the girl on the day he was due to face trial.

Prosecutor Virginia Hayton told the court that Phillips, who now lives in Warwickshire, had been aware of the young victim's age but entered into a consensual sexual relationship with her.

She said: “He took advantage of a young girl.”

The barrister said Phillps, who was working as a mechanic at the time of the offences.

She said the victim who lived in Rossendale had sex in the back of Phillips car in a car park one evening.

She added: “It's clear what happened to her at the hands of this defendant has informed her ability to develop relationships.”

Phillips was arrested years after the incident, while officers were investigating a separate incident.

He denied sexual contact with the victim who he claimed had been in her twenties at the time.

Phillips, of Old Warwick Road, Ettington, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

Elizabeth Muir, defending, said Phillips is an 'immature' man who suffers from depression. She said the defendant is a 'decent man' but had been an 'unusual and immature' 27-year-old.

She added that the relationship had been nothing other than consensual. Miss Muir said the defendant, who is engaged to be married, had lived a 'blame free life' both before and after the offences and is extremely frightened about getting a custodial sentence.

She said: “He was absolutely terrified that he would lose the support and stable relationship with his new partner.

“He was terrified that she would not want to continue the relationship with him.”

But Judge Stuart Baker said it was not possible to suspend a prison sentence and jailed Phillips for 40 months, also handing him a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The judge said Phillips had denied the offences 'doggedly' up until the day of trial.

He said Phillips is not a dangerous offender but he was 'quite satisfied' Phillips had no reason to believe the victim was of the age of consent.

He added: “ She was truly a vulnerable young girl.”