A father who sexually exploited his young teenaged daughter has been jailed for four years.

The Pembroke man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, climbed into bed with the victim and performed a sex act on one occasion, Supreme Court was told yesterday.

The offender, a leading member of his church community, also touched her sexually and rubbed her while she was clothed in a total of five incidents between February 2004 and March 2006.

During a sentencing hearing this week, the court was told the father's first offence was shortly after the victim's 13th birthday and his actions had left her sad, depressed and enraged.

At a trial earlier this year, the jury had unanimously found him guilty of five counts of sexual exploitation by a person in a position of trust.

Passing sentence, Chief Justice Richard Ground said: "Consequences for the daughter have been serious."

Senior Crown counsel Paula Tyndale said the victim's relationship with her mother had become strained.

"Hurt, rage and depression comes from a loss of some part of herself because of approaches by her male parent," said Ms Tyndale.

Delroy Duncan, defending, called a number of character witnesses who knew the offender from his church and professional life.

One pastor spoke of her "shocking disbelief" that a man who she believed to be a good family man had been convicted of sexual exploitation of his daughter.

She said the offender had often spoken of "the importance of our families ... the compassion for the things of God, the family unit".

Another pastor said he was "stunned, shocked" because the offences went against the father's principles.

Urging Mr. Justice Ground to pass a suspended sentence, Mr. Duncan said: "People from church and personal life remain steadfast in their support for him.

"The court should look on the tragic effect not only on the victim, but also on this man after he's been rehabilitated."

Summarising the case as he passed sentence, Mr. Justice Ground said the defendant had claimed his daughter had fabricated the story because she was unhappy at the way she had been disciplined.

He said: "I have taken into account the fact the physical abuse was not as great as is might have been." But he added that victims of such crimes also suffer emotionally.

The offender was sentenced to four years in prison for each count, to run concurrently.