A 29-year-old man is behind bars awaiting sentence after a jury convicted him of the “wicked and dreadful” sexual abuse of a young girl when he was a teenager.

Relatives of Robert Neale-Day, of Kirgate Road, Shipley, gasped in disbelief when he was found guilty yesterday of three offences of indecent assault and four of gross indecency with a child. He was cleared of one charge of attempted rape.

Judge Rose told the Court: “These are wicked and dreadful offences.”

During the week-long trial at Bradford Crown Court, Neale-Day’s victim, now in her twenties, gave evidence that he sexually molested her about 15 times when she was aged ten to 13.

The woman, who went to the police last year, said she was too confused and scared to tell her mother at the time.

Neale-Day, who has a wife and family, denied any wrong-doing, saying the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had made up the allegations.

After the verdicts, Neale-Day’s barrister, Ben Crosland, urged the judge to adjourn sentence for the preparation of a probation service report.

Mr Crosland said that Neale-Day was a man of previous good character and the court might be assisted by knowing more about the background to the offences.

He asked for his client’s bail to be extended, saying he had turned up in good time throughout the trial.

Mr Crosland conceded that Neale-Day was going to jail but asked for time for him to put his affairs in order.

Judge Jonathan Rose said a report would help the court because Neale-Day was a teenager when he committed the offences.

Judge Rose withdrew Neale-Day’s bail and he was remanded in custody until the sentencing hearing on November 18.

The judge said the victim was “a small and gentle child” who Neale-Day had dominated and bullied to enable him to have his sexual way with her.

Judge Rose praised the jury for the great care they had taken in coming to their verdicts.