A 64-year-old man who propositioned a girl of 14 to have sex with him has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Paul Nettlingham started talking to the girl one evening while she was waiting for a bus and then followed her onto it and sat down next to her, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

But the girl texted her boyfriend who met her at her destination and as a result Nettlingham was arrested.

Nettlingham, of Golding Close, Ditton, admitted inciting a child to commit a sexual offence and was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

Kieran Brand, prosecuting, said the girl was waiting on her own at a bus stop at about 8pm in October last year when Nettlingham started making inappropriate sexual comments to her and offered her money to take part in some kind of sexual activity with him.

She rebuffed his advances and got on her bus, followed by Nettlingham who sat down next to her and carried on making comments.

Judge David Griffith-Jones told Nettlingham: “This must have been quite terrifying for her and likely to live with her for some time. You targeted a lone and vulnerable young girl and there was a disparity in your ages.

“This offence was committed at night and you were drunk. I accept the shame and remorse you show is genuine and that this offence was a one-off and committed out of character.”

In addition to the suspended sentence Nettlingham was given a supervision order and told to attend a sex offenders’ programme. He will be subject to a sexual offences prevention order for seven years and barred from working with children.

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