A 73-year-old paedophile who was accused of sexually exploiting his six year old great-grand-daughter was found guilty yesterday in Magistrates? Court.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had nothing to say in his defence after evidence was given by the little girl, now eight, family members and a Police officer.

The man was charged with the sexual exploitation of a young person under the age of fourteen as a person in a position of trust, and also with sexual exploitation of a young person under the age of fourteen on February 15, of last year.

The man?s lawyer, Michael Scott, did not turn up for the trial. However, Magistrate William Francis allowed the trial to continue as it had been adjourned on five previous occasions.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill?s told the court that the man had touched his great-granddaughter for sexual purposes in January of 2001. The girl told the court how she was playing in bed with her great-grandfather when her aunt, also the defendant?s grand daughter, suspected that he was touching her. From behind a protective screen in the court she said: ?My aunt told me to get out of bed and she said something to me.

?We went upstairs and she asked my if he had touched me on my private parts.

?I told her yes, and I stayed in my aunt?s bedroom until my mom came home.

?My aunt told my mom what happened and I went to live with my daddy.?

The man chose not to cross examine the girl and only said: ?Someone is lying, either her or her aunt.?

The aunt, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had been babysitting her niece when the incident happened.

She said: ?I had given them dinner and then the children, the little girl and my daughter, had gone inside to watch TV in the living room, which was also his bedroom. My niece and my daughter were in the bed with him and they were all playing together.

?He then pulled the covers over himself and my niece and then she started saying stop tickling me.

?I thought she was speaking to my daughter, but then I noticed his hand moving up and down in the vicinity of her private parts.

?As soon as I noticed this, I told her to get out of the bed and I took her upstairs and asked her if he had touched her on her privates.?

The aunt said her niece did not admit it at first because she thought that she would get a ?smacking?, but after she reassured her that she had done nothing wrong, she admitted that he had.

In court yesterday, the aunt, the defendant?s grand daughter, testified: ?I didn?t confront him at that time, but I did after another incident.

?You are not going to get away with this again... You have been doing this for a long time and I called the Police.?

Det. Con. David Abraham told the court that he charged the man with the sexual exploitation of a young person under the age of fourteen as a person in a position of trust, and also with sexual exploitation of a young person under the age of fourteen on February 15, of last year.

During the reading of the judgment, Mr Francis said he found the young girl?s evidence to be clear and concise, and the evidence of her aunt assured him that the man was guilty.

Mr. Francis said: ?You have had nothing to say in your defence, when you are being charged with such a serious offence. I have no doubt that you touched the child for a sexual purpose, so I am finding you guilty for count two because I am not sure whether you were in a position of trust.?

Mr. Francis ordered a social inquiry report and remanded the man in custody for a sentencing hearing on December 3.