A York man has been attacked and lost his job after he admitted having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Malcolm Geoffrey Adcock is now planning to leave the city.

Mike Duffy, prosecuting, told York magistrates the girl invited herself along when Adcock asked her friends to his then home in central York. She had touched him sexually and repeatedly said she was 17.

After the pair had sex, the girl, who looks older than her years, was smiling.

Adcock's solicitor, Sally Howard, said the girl "cried rape" to police, and he was arrested.

"It was quite clear she was a consenting partner in this," said Mr Duffy.

"She initiated some of the behaviour that led to the act taking place."

Adcock, 34, who has no previous sex convictions, pleaded guilty to having under-age sex.

Mr Duffy told York magistrates the first time Adcock knew the girl's real age was when police told him.

Adcock was put on probation for a year and ordered to pay £120 costs. He must also register as a sex offender for five years. Adcock's solicitor referred to the "present climate" regarding public attitudes to sex offenders.

"As a result of previous press coverage, he suffered the loss of his job and suffered violence against him," she said. He now plans to leave York.

In December 1997, a hate campaign against another York sex offender led to police warning the public not to take the law into their own hands.