A FORMER Thai boxing coach has been jailed for indecently assaulting an underage girl who had been his pupil during the 1990s.

Robert Sharpley, 62, of Pen Y Bont, Govilon, near Abergavenny, was locked up for 42 months at Bolton Crown Court.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “In the early 1990s, Sharpley, who was operating as a boxing coach in Wigan, would often flirt and wink at his victim – a young teenage girl – during training sessions.

“On one occasion, she and others from her class attended his home address for a party and during the party he grabbed hold of her and kissed her.

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Other incidents that occurred at his house involved him taking her upstairs – whilst his family were present – locking the door to his bedroom and showing her a catalogue of sex toys and images of bondage.

“A separate incident involved him inviting her over to babysit before taking her upstairs and forcing her to perform oral sex on him.”

In the mid-90s Sharpley took the teenage girl to a club in Blackpool where he gave her ecstasy before taking her back to a house in Wigan and had sex with her.

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The abuse was reported by the victim in 2018 and Sharpley was arrested soon afterwards.

Detective Constable Jenna Boyer of Greater Manchester Police’s Wigan district said: "Sharpley abused his position of trust and manipulated a young girl into performing sexual acts on him and forcing her to have sex with him.

“This was an abhorrent abuse of power and only served to sustain his perverted sexual desires without sparing a second thought to the long last impact this could have on the young girl.

"The exploitation of young teenagers is inexcusable and I admire the strength and courage it must have taken for his victim to report this abuse to police.

“Her determination and support throughout this investigation has been instrumental in ensuring a custodial sentence was passed down to Sharpley today.

"I hope today's result demonstrates to those who feel they can commit such vile abuse and get away with that GMP will do all it can to ensure you face justice and pay for your actions.

“I hope this also sends a message to anyone who may have been a victim of sexual abuse or may know someone that is a victim that we will ensure you receive the specialist support you need and we will always treat any reports and investigations with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness.

“No one should be made to suffer in silence."

Sharpley pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault.

He will also have to register as a sex offenders for life.