August 2004 Man jailed for sex assault on girl, 4 A gas meter reader and self-confessed paedophile who sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl in her home was today starting a 30-month jail sentence. James French, 47, confessed to being a danger to youngsters and was once convicted of importing child pornography into Britain. In June, he called to read the meter at the girl’s Basildon home while her mother was getting her ready for play school. The mother left the room for a few seconds to get a brush for her daughter’s hair. In that brief moment, French, of Wheatfield Way, Laindon, put his hand up the girl’s skirt and touched her knickers. He admitted later he would have gone further had he not been disturbed by the mother’s return to the room, said Richard Potts, prosecuting at Basildon Crown Court. French, married with two teenage children, said he was a paedophile who needed help and had already received counselling for his behaviour. He pleaded guilty to indecent assault, now called the intentional sexual touching of a young girl. Representing him, Miss Heidi Stonecliffe said after French’s arrest he was given bail. He told officers he admitted the assault because he did not want to cause the victim any more trauma. She said his family had been threatened because of the publicity the case had attracted. Judge Christo-pher Mitchell said French had “the potential to do great harm” to youngsters, and admitted himself to being a danger to children. The judge ordered French’s name to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.