A DISTRAUGHT mum has blasted a judge for letting a paedophile who assaulted her little girl walk free.

John Kelly, aged 25, of Stanley Close, Widnes, escaped prison because of his learning difficulties.

He was given a two year suspended prison sentence at Warrington Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting sexually assaulting her daughter when she was five and indecently touching her last year, when she was 10.

Fighting back tears, the victim’s mother said: “He’s got away with it. He should have gone to prison.

“I think it’s appalling.

“My daughter has a life sentence.”

Sentencing him, Judge Nick Woodward told Kelly:”You have a great deal of difficulty understanding things that others can readily understand. I doubt you are really understanding what I’m saying to you now.

“Your psychological assessment reveals your abilities are under average. Your impairment affects your work, school, family, relations, thinking and moods. I accept these are very important mitigating factors in this case.

“I have taken into account the effect your difficulties would have on you if you were to go to prison. You would find it very very difficult to manage in custody.”

He put Kelly on the Northumbrian Sex Offenders Programme, a supervision order for two years, and a six month curfew from 7pm to 7am. He was placed on the sex offenders’ register and is prohibited from working with children or young people.

Matthew Corbett Jones, prosecuting, said the offences only came to light when the victim told her gran she had been assaulted.

Gary Lawrenson, defending, said Kelly lived at home with his mother, who is a dinner lady and runs an after school club.

He said:”He has a high level of dependence on his parents. His vulnerability would be exploited within a custodial sentence.”

His father, a care home manager, cried and hugged his son after the verdict.

The victim’s mother said afterwards:”My daughter has panic attacks when she has male teachers. She continues to wash her hands, everything has to be immaculate, her teeth, her hair, her shoes. That is how it has manifested itself.

“We all know paedos are hated in prison but even he just got a couple of months, he would have deserved it.

“My daughter was worried for 10 months about having to give evidence. He only changed his plea at the last minute.

“I think this is totally unjust. ”