With his daughter seeing a psychiatrist for mutilating herself and his marriage over, a Warwick man was imprisoned for ten years for her sexual exploitation yesterday.

The man -- who cannot be named for legal reasons -- sobbed quietly as his crime was read out.

Chief Justice Austin Ward called having intercourse with his teenage daughter "a depraved pattern of conduct'' and said a civilised society must protect its young people from "corrupting influences''.

Mr. Justice Ward handed down two ten-year sentences for sexual exploitation of a minor and five years for incest, adding he wanted to "condemn this in the strongest terms''.

The man -- who appeared to have bruised knuckles -- clenched his fists on the dock wall, took a deep breath and said: "I know what I did was wrong.

"I'm not a bad person, I provided for my family,'' he added. "I love my family and I'm very sorry for what I have done.

"Unfortunately, what I did has destroyed that relationship and I ask for forgiveness. I was not a lazy person. I love my family and all I ask is for you to give me another chance to go on and be productive citizen.'' His voice quavering, he added: "I'm very sorry for hurting my daughter.'' The court heard that one day between August 31 and October 1, 1997 his daughter was home from school on sick leave when he entered her bedroom and turned off her television.

Crown counsel Charmaine Scott said he told the girl, who was then a virgin, to lay on her back. He undressed himself and sexually assaulted her before and after having sexual intercourse with her.

He left the room for a time and then returned at which time he forbade her from telling anyone.

Over the following months he would go to the girl's bedroom and sexually assault her.

By the spring of 1999 the girl had become withdrawn and uncommunicative in school and at home with her mother who became suspicious.

It is understood the mother caught the father as he attempted to molest the girl.

Ms Scott said the girl had begun to cut her arms and stomach with knives and told a psychiatrist the pain she inflicted on herself took away the pain of the incest.

She now faces "long term psychiatric treatment'' as a result of the abuse.

When he was questioned by Police her father admitted the offence freely and said it was done under the influence of crack cocaine.

He told them: "Whatever she told you was true. I can't remember how many times but I remember that I did that.

"It's hard for me to do this. I don't want to make my daughter out to be a liar,'' he added.

Lawyer Richard Horseman called that as "full and frank confession as you can get'' from an accused person and that it showed complete remorse.

The maximum sentence for sexual exploitation is 20 years and the maximum for incest is seven.