A WIRRAL man who sexually assaulted a teenage runaway has been jailed for eight months.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Stephen Booth knew that the girl was only 14 years old but sexually touched her on three consecutive days.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had run away from a foster placement and met 25-year-old Booth at the Five Bars Rest in Seacombe on December 7.

They ended up kissing passionately and he touched her on the bottom, said Sarah Holt, prosecuting.

They kept in touch on social media and she returned to the pub the next day and there was sexual contact between them.

She came back the following day and they went to his flat above the Brighton Street premises and there was again sexual contact.

She was found by police that night and returned to her foster placement and sexually explicit messages between them were found on social media.

In these he assured her that he did not want to have sexual intercourse with her until he knew her better.

The girl told police that he was "a nice lad" and she did not want to get him into trouble.

Booth, now of Borough Road, Wallasey, who has no similar convictions, pleaded guilty to three offences of sexual activity with a child. He was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Paul Wood, defending, told Liverpool Crown Court that Booth, who has a young son, has a long history of learning difficulties and had been frank with police and admitted the offending behaviour.