A MAN from the area who sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed for eight years.

Lewis Davey, aged 51, sexually abused the girl, who was under the age of 13, in May last year.

Davey, of Bowly Crescent, Siddington, near Cirencester, was also sentenced for an offence of voyeurism by observing a person engaging in a private act on the same day.

He was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday, October 25, where he was jailed for eight years with an extended licence period of one year.

According to court documents, a special custodial sentence of imprisonment was imposed as Davey was deemed to be an 'offender of particular concern'.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for 15 years from conviction was also imposed.

This bans Davey from unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 apart from his own children.

Exceptions include inadvertent contact and when contact is not reasonably avoidable in the course of daily life.

The other exception is if Davey has consent from a child’s parent or guardian, who has knowledge of his convictions and has received written consent from social services.

He was also added to the sex offenders register.

Davey faced two charges - sexually assaulting a girl aged under 13 and observing a person engaging in a private act.

He pleaded not guilty to both offences but was found guilty of both charges after a four-day trial at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, September 19.