week given a suspended prison sentence in Magistrates' Court.

Senior Magistrate the Wor. William Francis sentenced him to six months in prison suspended for a year. He also fined him $500.

A psychological report revealed the man showed little remorse for assaulting the girl. He said he did not hurt the child and that she seemed to enjoy the experience.

But Mr. Michael Telemaque, defending, said his client had expressed considerable remorse for what he had done and for the embarrassment to his family.

"You are her grandfather,'' Mr. Francis told the defendant. "You should be looking after this nine-year-old girl and protecting her from this kind of thing.'' The man was arrested after his wife discovered him sexually abusing the child after she went to say good night to him. The child's mother reported the matter to the Police.

Before sentencing, Mr. Francis said he took into account the defendant's advanced age, guilty plea and clean record. But he said only a custodial sentence could reflect the seriousness of the offence.

"I hope that sentence makes you realise the seriousness of what you have done,'' he told the defendant. "While I don't want to send a man your age to prison, I must send a stern message out to you or anyone else.''