Majid Saleh, 71, and son 21-year-old Hussain Hamid were jailed at Canterbury Crown Court

by Paul Hooper

A 71-year-old perverted pensioner and his son – 50 years his junior – have been sent to prison for sex offences on a young girl.

Iraqi-born Majid Saleh and 21-year-old Hussain Hamid, both from Dover, were each convicted by a jury of two charges and jailed for two years.

Canterbury Crown Court heard their victim - aged just nine - was subjected to touching and being offered money for a sex act.

The child, who gave evidence at the trial, described the requests from the sick father and son as "disgusting and scary" and "bad stuff".

Saleh and Hamid, of Maison Dieu Place, had both denied 22 offences – but were each convicted of one sexual assault on a child and one of inciting a child to commit a sex act.

"you have shown no insight into your behaviour and no remorse for it..." – judge heather norton to majid saleh

Saleh claimed he suffered from an itching disorder that led to him scratching himself in his groin area.

He also said he had become forgetful because of his age and sometimes forgot to zip up his trousers.

Thomas Restell, for the pensioner, asked the judge to spare him jail because of his age and poor health.

But Judge Heather Norton told them she regarded the incitement as "a precursor to sexual grooming".

She said the only reason the acts were not carried out was because the child refused the offer of money and walked away from them.

The child claimed she was touched sexually and invited to perform a sex act on the pensioner.

The judge added: "She gave her evidence by video link in a straightforward and unembellished way.

"Those (sexual) assaults were done over clothing and involved touching with your hands only.

"It didn't get any further because she removed herself from you or removed your hand from her body."

In jailing them both, the judge added: "You, Hamid asked her to have sex with you and to touch your penis and you offered her money. She regarded your actions as disgusting and scary.

"Saleh, you made comments towards her to touch you – again you also offered her money to do so. She said she regarded that as 'bad stuff' and refused to comply.

"You have shown no insight into your behaviour and no remorse for it. The sexual assaults were a precursor to your attempts to persuade your victim to carry out your suggestion.

"It was only her response which prevented you from carrying out your suggestions."