A 17-year-old youth launched a sex attack on a nine-year-old schoolgirl, a court heard.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is from a village midway between Worcester and Malvern.

He committed the offence in May, last year.

Worcester Magistrates Court heard yesterday how the youth had been found guilty of indecent assault during a three-day trial held in the city in June.

He had originally denied one count of indecent assault.

At his sentencing he was accompanied by his mother and father, and the public were banned from the hearing.

Judith Kenney, defending, said the case had led to the youth's family being persecuted in their village.

She said two nooses had been hung in the centre of the village as a threatening gesture, and the youth's mother had been involved in a car crash with the victim's mother.

"There is no doubt this has had quite a devastating impact," she said.

"He has been left in no doubt about the results of this situation, and seems to understand what a supervision order would mean."

When sentencing the youth, District Judge Philip Browning said he would have to come to terms with the offence and its consequences.

"I want to make sure there is no way this happens again," he said.

"It may be difficult, but it will help you get things sorted out in your own mind and your life.

"I know there have been problems in the village."

District Judge Browning sentenced the youth to a 12-month supervision order and ordered him to pay £750 court costs.

He also ordered him to remain on the sex offenders' register for two-and-a-half years, the minimum amount of time a youth can be registered.