A former classroom assistant molested a young boy and downloaded child sex abuse images from the internet, a court heard.

Timothy Withey, who also worked in banking, groped the boy twice in offences dating back several years. They were unconnected to his teaching post.

The indecent images found on his computer totalled 145 in the lowest category.

The 48-year-old, formerly of Market Street, Staplehurst, was jailed for four years yesterday for two offences of sexual assault and two of making indecent images of a child.

Beverley Cherrill, defending, said Withey, who wept in the dock at Maidstone Crown Court, had been of exemplary character.

He became more depressed after he was made redundant from his banking employment.

“Having been a wealthy man and working hard supporting his family for the past 30 years his mood declined,” said Miss Cherrill. “He found life difficult.

“He fought hard to deal with his sexuality. He had low self-esteem. He has issues about his sexuality and physicality. It led to him acting in a very unattractive way.

“He is full of remorse.”

Miss Cherrill said Withey,who admitted the offences, was devastated that he had anything to do with the victim self-harming. Withey had also self-harmed.

While on remand in prison he had started therapy, applied to go on a sex offender programme and was training as a Samaritan mentor for inmates.

His house had been sold and he was moving away from the area.

“It is a very unpleasant and unsatisfactory blip in his life,” added Miss Cherrill.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens said the boy’s family did not know what was happening to him because he kept quiet about it.

“It was your manipulation and behaviour which allowed you to commit these offences,” he told Withey. “He became depressed and suicidal.

“His mother talked about the profound effect on a young boy keeping that secret for a number of years. There may have been grooming behaviour. It must be a term of imprisonment.”

Withey’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register and he will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.