A NORTH Yorkshire man who groomed and had a sexual relationship with a teenage girl after meeting her at a Midland riding school is now behind bars.

Stuart Moreland, 37, from Northallerton, has been jailed for nine years after admitting admitted six charges of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard that following the offences the young victim had become a “shell of her former self”.

The story came out after the victim revealed to someone at the school what had been happening to her in August this year.

Robert Davies, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said Moreland, who was married and a father himself, had initially sent “flirtatious” texts to the teenager and had “challenged” her to kiss him the next time they met.

He added: “What took place between them then developed into a full sexual relationship for many months.”

Mr Davies said on one occasion a sexual act had taken place in a field and that Moreland had told the victim to delete texts he sent to her, although police were able to retrieve some of them.

When quizzed, the teenager said it was her first sexual experience and she had been sworn to keep the relationship a secret.

The victim’s father told the court her ordeal had greatly affected their lives and the family had struggled to cope with the consequences.

“A loving and carefree teenager has been replaced by an angry and bewildered child,” he said.

"She is a shell of her former self.”

Passing sentence, Judge Kirstie Montgomery told Moreland: “She was described by her family as being quiet and dedicated to her passion for horses.

"You were a married man with a child at the time you began to abuse her.

"You were audacious and arrogant in the way you abused her telling her to delete texts that would trace the relationship.

"You used a form of emotional blackmail to ensure her silence. You exploited her, groomed her and sexually abused her.

"It has had a devastating effect on that family.”

The judge said it had also been an aggravating feature that Moreland had a previous conviction for having sex with a teenage girl in 2000 at a youth club.

Alison Scott Jones, defending, said: “He understands the blame rests fully on himself.

"He is remorseful for his behaviour.”