A FORMER Olympic ice-skating hopeful who sexually abused a young roller-dancer has been jailed for three years and four months.

David Bullock, whose father is a well-known local coach, repeatedly touched the girl when she was aged between nine and 12 in the late 1980s.

When the 53-year-old’s dad, also David, and his wife were told of the abuse they said they would keep their son away from youngsters.

But Bullock resurfaced soon afterwards, helping out at the club, before concentrating on ice skating and moving away, Swindon Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Tessa Hingston said the victim was a keen member of the West Berks Rollers, who often trained at the Link Centre. Bullock’s parents ran one of the clubs she attended and she often stayed at their home before travelling to weekend sessions in Milton Keynes.

On two occasions, when she thought she was about 11, she was woken by the defendant, then in his early 20s, crouching by her bed. Bullock, who she said she always found ‘pervy’, took her hand and placed it on his genitals before kissing her all over her body, then staring at her.

The victim, now a mum in her 40s, said he also repeatedly flicked her breasts while training and on one occasions touched her between the legs over clothing.

At the time she told a friend and when it got back to her parents they confronted the Bullocks. Miss Hingston said they agreed to stop their son from training young girls, but one of the victim’s pals said he came back and interacted with girls.

Bullock, of Downs View, Highworth, admitted two indecent assaults and two counts of indecency with a child.

The court heard he was jailed for six months in 1997 after being caught with 18,761 indecent images of children, but it was reduced on appeal to a community order.

Emma Handslip, defending, said her client had significant mental health issues and made serious attempts on his life, having himself been abused as a child. While he had accepted that he has a sexual attraction to children she said he was remorseful for what he had done and felt ‘disgust and shame about the offences’.

Jailing him Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “You were a figure of authority to her and somebody she would have looked up to, given her passion for the sport and her dedication to train and she would have been vulnerable to you. You realised she was an easy target, you prioritised your own sexual gratification over her welfare.

“While you did not go as far as other offenders might, it has had a devastating effect on her.”

He imposed a sexual harm prevention order for life and told Bullock he must register as a sex offender.