A COMPANY director with a record of sex crimes against children was given an extended jail sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl who was staying in his house.

Daniel Freeman, 41, formerly of Boreham Road, Warminster, was sent to prison at Guildford Crown Court, Surrey, for six years and told he would remain on licence for another three years on his eventual release after a specialist report revealed that he was at “high risk” of committing similar offences against young girls in future.

He was warned that, under the terms of the extended jail sentence, he would not be eligible for release after serving half of his time behind bars, which is the normal procedure that governs custodial cases.

Judge Robert Fraser told the defendant: “In your case, you will serve two-thirds of your sentence when your case will then be referred to the Parole Board. You will only be released if the Parole Board considers it safe for you to be released.”

He added: “I have come to the view that you are dangerous.”

Freeman was forbidden by law from being alone with young girls after he was sent to prison a decade ago for sex crimes against two females aged six and nine.

But when his latest victim was a guest at his home in October last year , he pulled her leggings and pants down before touching her private parts when he was by himself with her for a few moments.

After a trial, Freeman, recently of Loddon Way, Ash, Surrey, was found guilty by a majority of eleven to one of sexual assault on a child under 13, following a trial.

Judge Fraser said: “There are aggravating features in this appalling case.”

He said that the defendant’s latest offence involved the touching of naked genitalia whereas the two previous attacks had involved touching over clothes.

This, said Judge Fraser, demonstrated an “escalation” in seriousness. He said the latest offence involved a breach of trust and it had had a significant impact on the young victim.

Wendy Cottee, prosecuting, said the girl’s family had noted adverse changes in the victim.

“Her academic achievements at school have slipped as a result of this incident,” she said.

During the trial, the jury were told that the defendant had been placed under strict legal conditions banning him from having unsupervised access to young girls after he had been jailed for three and a half years at Guildford Crown Court in November 2007 when a jury found him guilty at another trial of three charges of indecent assault and two of sexual assault.

The sentence was for two sets of offences – molesting a six-year-old girl in 2002 while he was living at Godalming, Surrey, and molesting a nine year-old girl in 2006 while he was living at Boreham Road, Warminster.

Ms Cottee told the latest trial that despite all the subsequent safeguarding measures, Freeman had re-offended yet again all those years later.

“Because he is attracted to young girls in the six-to-nine-year age range, nothing has changed,” she said.

Freeman, who denied the latest offence, said he had taken great care never to be alone with young girls because of his previous offending.

Under cross- examination, he agreed he had denied all the charges at his 2007 trial but he said he had later confessed his crimes to friends because he had felt so ashamed of himself.

“What I did back then was unforgiveable,” said Freeman.

But since that time, he said, he had received help from an organisation which specialises in treating sex offenders.

“I’m not sexually attracted to young girls any more,” added the defendant.

Rupert Hallowes, defending, said that it was hoped that his client would receive treatment for his problems in prison.

He said that Freeman still had the loving support of his wife and his parents.

Freeman is now barred from working with or having unsupervised contact with girls under 16.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.