A governor of a primary school and a treasurer of Thanet's air cadets has admitted sexual activity with a child.

Neil Cox, 44, from Broadstairs, pleaded guilty to touching the breasts and bottom of a teenage girl with whom he had developed an infatuation.

Now Cox, of The Silvers, has also lost his marriage and his work with the cadets.

Details of his sordid activities were revealed when the brave victim called Childline on Christmas Day last year.

Cox is a former senior accountant with Kent County Council from 1998 until 2012 and boasts on his social media LinkedIn account how he helped to set the budget for the county's schools.

Prosecutor Edmund Burge told Canterbury Crown Court how Cox had become a finance officer at a London primary school where he was also a governor.

But the twice-married Cox began making inappropriate comments to a teenage girl asking if she minded if he "touched her up".

Mr Burge said the girl said she did not but Cox then talked graphically to her about a sex act and then touched her breasts as he "brushed past".

He said the victim became frightened to be alone with him and eventually had the courage to raise the alarm by calling Childline.

Simon Taylor, defending, said Cox accepted his behaviour towards his victim had been "deplorable and shameful".

"He deeply regrets what he did and is genuinely ashamed and finds it difficult to explain why it happened," he continued.

"But this was out of character and he has done a lot of good work for the community."

Judge Simon James told him that had his victim not "had the courage to speak out, you would have continued to subject her to your unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances".

He added: "You have lost both your job and your marriage and the stigma, quite rightly, will probably live with you for the rest of your life."

The judge said he had read about the former Dane Court Grammar School pupil's work with the air cadets, but told him: "That is also something that is also unlikely to continue."

He was given a 12 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to undergo 80 hours of treatment aimed at tackling his sex offending.

Cox was also ordered to pay £350 costs and sign the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years.