A LODGER who "corrupted" the young daughter of his landlord has been jailed for nearly four years for child abuse.

During two years of sexual attacks on the York area primary school pupil, Carl Richard Bolton, 36, indecently assaulted her repeatedly in her own home and on one occasion took her to a public toilet for further sexual activity, Simon Kealey, prosecuting, said at York Crown Court.

The abuse began with French kisses and escalated. Some of the offences occurred when the girl had been sent home from school because she was ill.

Her parents were not able to look after her, so Bolton would be alone with her and he sexually abused her.

On other occasions, when they were with other people in the house, he would signal to her to arrange times and places for them to be alone together so he could continue his abuse.

The offences began shortly after he started living there.

"This is a clear case of grooming and corruption," the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, told Bolton. "You are a hypocrite.

"You started off with small beginnings, corrupting her to your sexual use."

He jailed Bolton for three years and nine months with orders that probation officers give him extra supervision on his release.

Bolton, of Chaucer Street, off Lawrence Street, York - not where the assaults took place - pleaded guilty to seven charges of indecent assault and two of gross indecency with a child.

He was put on the sex offenders' register for life and barred indefinitely from working with children.

The offences occurred some years ago.

In mitigation, Nicholas Barker said Bolton had no other convictions and had pleaded guilty, although not until shortly before he was due to stand trial.

Bolton had had problems in his childhood and had difficulties with reading, writing and arithmetic.

"This defendant accepts the offences should not have occurred and that he is responsible for them," said Mr Barker.

Mr Kealey said the offences only came to light last year, when the girl, now some years older, revealed what had happened to her mother.

Bolton had long since left the family home.

Updated: 10:24 Tuesday, April 05, 2005