A HOLYHEAD man who sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl took an indecent photograph of her before the attack, a court heard.

Henry James Bayliss, 54, was also found to have a large collection of indecent images of children on two mobile phones.

He was jailed for four-and-a-half years after Mold Crown Court heard how he had gone into the child’s room in North West Wales and pulled down her pyjama trousers and kissed her on the genital area.

When he was arrested police found 140 indecent images of young children, some as young as four, on a HTC phone as well as 67 prohibited images.

A second HTC phone found in a locker at his work place also contained indecent images.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Mintz told the court: “The indecent images were in a picture folder on the memory card of his phone. There was also a photograph taken on the night of the assault which had been deleted, but it must have been the seven-year-old.

“He (Bayliss) said he had been “stitched up” and claimed other people had access to his phone.”

Defence barrister Matthew Dunford said Bayliss, of Bryn Y Mor, Holyhead was hospitalised after drinking anti-freeze before a pending trial.

He later admitted sexually assaulting a female under the age of 13, making indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images.

The court was told that Bayliss was convicted in 1997 of sending a letter to a 10-year-old girl containing sexual explicit material.

Mr Dunford said: “He has paid a heavy price for his behaviour as he has lost his marriage and employment and after consuming anti-freeze his kidney function has been reduced to 25 per cent.”

Bayliss was told to sign on the sex offenders register for life and put under the restrictions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely as well as a five-year restraining order.