A pervert who first confessed to child abuse 15 years ago has been jailed for four years at Worcester Crown Court.

Brian Holden told police in 1993 that he had performed a sex act on a 14-year-old five times. But the boy denied that any crime had taken place because he did not want to upset his seriously ill parents.

Now in his 30s, the victim finally came forward last year to reveal the sex attacks after his father died and his mother made a full recovery.

Holden, aged 46, of Southdown Road, Worcester, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to buggery.

Judge Andrew Geddes said although Holden had confessed before, he had not admitted the most serious parts of his offending.

He had corrupted a boy for his own sexual gratification. The judge added: "This will remain with the victim for a rest of his life. I have to think of the outrage your activities have caused to society."

Holden, who met the boy through a friend, took him swimming at 13, then photographed him in woods after getting him to lift up his T-shirt, said Abigail Nixon, prosecuting.

A month later, when he was 14, the boy returned home from school and Holden attacked him on a sofa. Holden also groped the victim in a car and tried to get the teenager to have sex with him.

The victim complained to police after watching a TV programme in which a man talked about the abuse he had suffered as a child.

Holden had 13 previous convictions for indecent assault on boys.

Antonie Muller, defending, said after “effectively pleading guilty” a long time ago, Holden had been on a sex offenders’ treatment course and had not committed any sex crimes since.