A paedophile pensioner who abducted a boy off the street and molested him in a Currys car park has been jailed.

Nigel Hawkins was driving through a residential area of Folkestone when he coaxed the 12-year-old into his car on the pretence of needing directions.

A court heard how the Lydd resident then drove one mile to the electrical retailer and persuaded the child - who he did not know - to browse the aisles with him.

They then returned to his Mini Cooper, where Hawkins inappropriately touched the boy over his clothes. He then drove him back to Cherry Garden Lane, where he had picked him up.

Hawkins, of The Green, then told the boy that men and children “could be friends” and gave him £5 not to tell anyone about the incident, which occurred on June 3 last year.

The 73-year-old was tracked down and arrested that same day, but throughout police interviews and a subsequent trial, he denied charges of abducting a child and sexual assault.

At a sentencing hearing on Thursday, a statement written by the young victim laid bare the terrible impact Hawkins’ attack has had on his life.

“I’m scared that I’m going to be a paedophile when I’m older because of what happened to me...”

“Before this incident, I believed in God but I no longer believe in him because he did not keep me safe that day,” said the boy in a statement read aloud to Canterbury Crown Court.

“I’m scared that I’m going to be a paedophile when I’m older because of what happened to me, but I don’t want to be a paedophile.”

The boy also said that since the attack, he has trouble trusting men, including teachers and shop assistants, and has struggled in school.

But Hawkins, appearing in the dock wearing a grey fleece, remained emotionless and quiet throughout proceedings, speaking only to confirm his name.

At the time of the assault, the paedophile was, by court order, banned from communicating with anyone under 18.

He admitted breaching this sexual risk order ahead of his trial and was convicted by jury of the other two charges in January.

At the sentencing hearing last week, prosecutor Christopher May described how Hawkins premeditated the abduction and assault.

“This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment attack,” said Mr May. “There is also an element of grooming in the car in the talking about boxing, going into Currys and walking around, then getting back into the car - taking that time to develop trust.

“There was obviously very serious harm caused.”

But mitigating, David Langwallner argued that his client is a “caring person”, if unremorseful for his actions.

“In the [pre-sentence report], there is a lack of remorse - but perhaps it would be better described as someone who is having great difficulty accepting things,” he said.

“There is no suggestion that this is a violent person. On the contrary his character references suggest this is a caring person - someone who is demonstrative by nature and so therefore hasn’t understood boundaries.”

But, interjecting, Judge Simon Taylor KC rejected this characterisation.

“I don’t accept that he thought was doing something nice to the victim,” said the judge.

“When he sexually assaulted this child, he knew that he was sexually assaulting this child and he knew that he was doing this for his own sexual gratification.”

“If you decide to commit a high culpability offence in your seventies, you should expect to be punished in your seventies...”

Judge Taylor imposed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order, preventing the criminal from having unsupervised contact or communication with a child under 18, other than through inadvertent contact in the course of daily life or in the knowledge of a child’s parent, guardian or social services.

Handing down the sentence, the judge criticised how Hawkins has conducted himself since being arrested.

“You purported to express some remorse in your interview, but in effect, you show little insight into your offending and express a high degree of victim blaming,” he said.

“You are in denial of your sexual predilections.

“I do not consider your age to be a mitigating factor - if you decide to commit a high culpability offence in your seventies, you should expect to be punished in your seventies.”

Hawkins was given a five-year custodial sentence, half of which he will spend behind bars before serving the remainder on licence in the community.