September 2008 Father-of-two tried to groom girl, 15 A MAN has been sentenced for trying to initiate sex with a 15-year-old girl. Paul Morris kissed his young victim before lifting her top and trying to undo her trousers At the time, Morris was helping out at Wizz-Kidz in Brixham, a children’s soft play centre run by his wife Katie. At an earlier hearing, the 38-year-old father of two young daughters pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child. Judge Paul Darlow told Morris, of Grange Road, Torquay: “This was targeting and grooming a vulnerable 15-year-old. Your behaviour was deliberate and manipulative. “I have no doubt that your intention was to proceed to full intercourse if she was willing.” The court heard Mrs Morris had warned her husband his flirtatious behaviour with the teenager could be interpreted as an inappropriate relationship. But he secretly continued to hold his victim’s hands during walks in the run-up to the incident. Prosecutor Chris Bennett told the court Morris had helped at his wife’s business by making coffee, operating the till and tidying up for about a month when the crime took place. Jonathan Barnes, defending, said Morris had “nothing whatever” to do with the group since the matter came to light, and would not be involved in the future. He said Morris was genuinely remorseful about his behaviour, and had given a full and frank confession to police when he was questioned. He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and his regret had been a factor in a suicide attempt. He is on anti-depressants and attempting to reconcile with his wife. Mr Barnes said: “He should have stopped it before allowing a very inappropriate flirtation to develop to the extent that, losing his head, he behaved in the disgraceful way in which he did. “But when the young girl quite rightly made her feelings clear, he at once stopped and has ever since been truly remorseful, to the extent that he attempted to take his own life.” He emphasised Morris was not critical of the girl. But Judge Darlow said the victim impact statement indicated someone in the community had been making disparaging comments about her. He said: “Whoever that person is, they are misguided, ignorant and cruel.” Judge Darlow sentenced Morris to a three-year supervision order, and said he expected the defendant to undergo a sex offenders’ treatment programme. He was banned from working with young people and will be on the sex offenders’ register for the next five years. He was also banned from contact with any girl under 16 except if she works in retail or they are supervised, with the exception of his two daughters. In an earlier report of the case we incorrectly called Morris a “childcare centre boss”. As stated above, Morris merely helped out at his wife’s business.