A 49-YEAR-OLD pervert from Widnes who incited a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity outside her home has been jailed for three years.

John Carr, aged 49, of Bellhouse Road, appeared at Warrington Crown Court to be sentenced today, Friday, after pleading guilty to the crime in October.

The court heard the incident took place just before 5pm on June 4 this year.

Matthew Dunford, prosecuting, said the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was returning from a trip to a shop close to her home after being asked to go by her mum.

He told the court that after going down an alleyway towards the back of her house the victim saw Carr, who was drunk and had a small dog on a lead, walk towards her before he made an indecent, and explicit, proposition.

Despite attempts by the victim to back away, the prosecution said Carr asked her 'can I have your knickers?', which took place outside the house gate.

Mr Dunford added: "He was close to her and then blocked her – she shouted her father."

After 'panicking' the victim ran back to her house and her father ran out in a bid to find Carr.

He then returned home to check his description before getting into his car and discovering the defendant.

The court heard the father asked Carr 'what he said' to his daughter and warned him 'never to speak to her again'.

Carr was later arrested by police, who found his flat 'littered' with alcohol, as well as 'two pairs of knickers'.

During an interview he admitted he had been drinking 'all day' but denied saying 'anything to the girl'.

A personal statement from the victim, which was read out in court, said she is 'scared' to be at home by herself following the incident.

It added the incident 'is always on my mind' and 'it makes me angry'.

A statement from the victim's mum said her daughter 'was up all night vomiting' after the ordeal.

Jamie Baxter, defending, said Carr had no 'recollection' of walking towards the girl or asking her the questions but confirmed his client had been living 'quite a sorry life'.

He said his client had drunk two bottles of brandy, as well as two bottles of cider, when the offence took place, and that he was taking prescriptive and non-prescriptive drugs.

"This is a serious offence but it is not the most serious of its type – there was no contact and I must stress that," he added.

The defendant's previous convictions included acts of making and possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography, for which a community order was given last December.

Sentencing Carr for one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, Judge Neil Flewitt QC, suggested the events from June 4 could have been worse had there not been help at hand.

"Her father was present, on another day there may have been nobody present," he said.

"In my judgement there are a number of aggravating factors.

"Firstly, and most significant, is the location where this offence took place – it was effectively on this young girl's doorstep.

"You were heavily under the influence of alcohol, prescriptive and non-prescriptive drugs at the time."

Judge Flewitt sentenced Carr to 36 months in prison.

Carr, who was wearing a t-shirt, left the dock looking down.

Following the sentence Judge Flewitt said the victim was a 'very brave young girl' and highlighted his 'admiration' for her.