A paedophile residents thought was a “friendly granddad” to children in his area has been jailed for sexual abuse of a young girl.

Serial sex offender Kenneth Stephen Fowler has 18 previous convictions for sex crimes, including some committed against other children, York Crown Court heard.

The mother of his latest victim told the court how she now felt sick when she remembered how the 64-year-old had let her child sit on his knee and given her sweets.

Written after the daughter revealed what had happened to her, the mother’s statement said; “I feel he was grooming her.”

The mother added that her child now has nightmares in which she dreams that Fowler is lying on top of her and she cannot scream.

Richard Herrmann, prosecuting, said the girl, who is not related to Fowler, was playing with a doll and a doll's pram when Fowler "lured" her aside, touched her inappropriately and performed a sex act in front of her.

Following his arrest, police found girls’ underwear at Fowler’s home which he claimed he had bought at a charity shop to use for cleaning.

Judge Simon Hickey said the underwear was more evidence of Fowler’s “unhealthy sexual interest in young girls.”

He said the child must have experienced a "sustained and very distressing incident."

He jailed Fowler for three years and four months and ordered that he have an extended three-year prison licence period after he is released from jail as he was a danger to children and females.

Fowler, now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He was put on the sex offenders register for life and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order that the judge described as “draconian” and merited. He was also barred from working or volunteering with children.

Mr Herrmann said the last of Fowler’s sex crimes was some years ago.

Residents in the North Yorkshire town where Fowler was living regarded him as “being a friendly, elderly man, who was obviously an alcoholic” and “good with children”. One described him as the “granddad” of the area.

For Fowler, Brian Russell said he couldn't explain why he abused the child.

"What happened here, for an inexplicable reason, he has suddenly reverted to entrenched behaviour which he had managed to avoid entirely for 30 years," he said.

The judge said to Fowler: "The only mitigation is really your plea."

York Crown Court heard Fowler had 204 previous convictions.

His 18 sexual offences began when he was convicted of indecent exposure in 1976 and continued, mostly with indecent exposures including some in front of children, until 1994.

He was also convicted in Scotland of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged 13 to 16.