THE son of a former high-ranking Kent police officer has been jailed for four years for sexually abusing a young girl.

Phillip Pitcher was convicted of four charges of indecent assault, two of sexual assault, one of indecency with a child and inciting a child to engage in a sexual activity.

Pitcher, son of former Supt John Pitcher, had denied all the offences but was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court in November last year.

The 36-year-old had denied a second charge of inciting a child to engage in a sexual activity. He was cleared of this on the judge's direction.

Sentencing him to a total of four years, Judge Philip Statman said Pitcher had shown no remorse or insight into his offending.

"Uppermost in my mind must be to ensure that young children are protected from offenders such as you committing offences of this type," the judge said.

Judge Statman added that he hoped Pitcher, formerly of Bower Street, Maidstone, would be able to join a Sex Offenders' Treatment Programme while in custody.

He was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders' register for life and was disqualified indefinitely from working with children.

Peter Alcock, defending, said Pitcher maintained his innocence "as forcefully as he possibly can".

He said the security guard had lost his job, and the flat that came with it, and now his only focus was to clear his name.

"He feels the whole court experience was, I quote, 'hellish and devastating'," added Mr Alcock.

Pitcher's father, who served as a senior officer in Maidstone and Medway, was among relatives in court.