A former curate from St Michael's church in Battersea will be listed on the sexual offenders register for five years after kissing and touching a 14-year-old girl while his wife was pregnant with their second child.

Grahame Humphries admitted sexual assault, committed against the teenager in the 1970s.

On several occasions in 1971 and 1972, the then 27 year old kissed and touched the girl.

At Kingston Crown Court on August 10, he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years with a 24-month supervision order.

Max Hardy, prosecuting, said: "There was one occasion…when she was the only one in the room.

"He kissed the victim and put his hands in the breast area over her clothing.

"This happened on more than one occasion.

"He would turn up unrequested in his car at the train station to give her a lift.

"Nothing sexual would happen on those occasions."

He continued: "The ultimate occasion was when the defendant turned up at her home when she was alone and asked to speak to her in her room.

"He asked her to take her clothes off. He was insistent.

"She had the strength of character to tell him to leave and he did so."

He said her mother found her crying when she returned home which led to her explaining what had been happening.

The court heard the victim had been in counselling for much of her life and had come forward because she saw how seriously police took cases such as the Jimmy Savile enquiry.

When Humphries, now 71-years-old, was first interviewed under caution, he denied the allegations.

He did not make a plea in the Magistrates Court and did not admit until a basis of plea was entered at Kingston Crown Court.

Humphries said he could not remember asking the victim to take off her clothes but admitted kissing her. He said there had never been “French kissing”.

An application for a sexual harm prevention order was made but dropped because there was no evidence of further offences in the 45 years since.

Mitigating, Charlene Sumnall said: "The last 45 years do not outweigh the harm to this particular victim but in this case his years working in the Anglican Church, he has done a great deal of good for hundreds of people through his ministry.

"There is no suggestion that this has been repeated on any child, female or person at all in 45 years.

"He has led an impeccable life and that is something that should be held in his credit."

Humphries has a condition called CMT and has used crutches for five years. The court heard it would worsen as he ages.

Humphries, of Lees Heights, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, admitted indecent assault against a girl, under the age of 16, between September 21, 1971 and September 21, 1972.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Dodgson said: "You took advantage of your position of trust and kissed her and put your hands on her breasts albeit over clothing.

"I imagine that although you felt some guilt for your behaviour not least because your wife was pregnant with your second child, you put these events to the back of your mind.

"She has lived with this for 45 years, they have blighted her life."

Judge Dodgson acknowledged that Humphries had led a blameless life in the time since the offences.

He refused an application for compensation saying that because the victim had suffered abuse from another man in her life, who was never prosecuted, it was impossible to quantify the level attributed to each party.

Humphries was also ordered to pay £500 costs to the prosecution.