A man was found guilty of indecently assaulting a child after telling her it was their 'little secret'.

William Callow, 71, of Wise Avenue, Kidlington, was convicted by a jury of two counts of indecent assault.

He was acquitted on one further charge of indecent assault, one charge of attempted rape and Judge Julian Hall directed the jury to enter a 'not guilty' verdict on a charge of inciting a child under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency.

The incidents took place between January 1988 and January 1990. The victim, now 19, told the court: "He told me not to tell anyone because it was our little secret."

She said in later life she couldn't concentrate on schoolwork and would rub her face with a toothbrush because she felt ashamed and dirty.

When she was older, she said, she got drunk and went to his house demanding to speak to him. The police were called and she was arrested but it was the trigger for her to tell officers what had happened.

She had earlier complained to her doctor of sexual abuse.

Callow told Oxford Crown Court yesterday he had complained to his doctor about sexual problems and had not had sex with his wife for 17 years.

Nigel Daly, prosecuting, asked Callow: "You are attracted to little girls, aren't you? And you found her attractive."

Callow replied: "No, I did not find her attractive."

Callow was released on bail until sentence on April 20 at Nottingham Crown Court for pre-sentence reports.