A UNIVERSITY lecturer was told today he will be jailed after he admitted having sex with an underage girl he met on the internet.

Trevor Jackson, 46, befriended the girl from Jersey when she was 13 and made several trips from Newcastle for hotel meetings with the child.

The bio medicine lecturer pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to five counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming and five counts of sexual activity with a child.

The plea was made on the basis that full sexual intercourse only took place twice, after the girl turned 14.

No evidence was heard about how the offences, which happened between September 2005 and February 2006, came to light this year.

The case was adjourned until January 22 for sentence, to allow reports to be completed.

Judge Tony Lancaster said: "Although I am adjourning for these reports you have to face the inevitability you will be going to prison for these offences.

"The lecturer, who wore an open-necked shirt and a blue jumper with a poppy pinned to the middle, was granted bail in the meantime."

Jackson, of Lyndhurst Avenue, Jesmond, Newcastle, must sign the sex offenders register, and the length of time he stays on it will be set at the sentencing hearing.

Separate charges relating to alleged child pornography on his computer will be dealt with later.

Jackson, who had a doctorate, was asked to work from home in June, suspended in August and resigned last month.

Until the police investigation he was a respected scientist.

A university spokesman said: "Newcastle University has co-operated fully with the police throughout their investigation.

"Obviously Newcastle University deplores the offences he committed, however, it should be pointed out that we have almost 5,000 staff and 19,000 students and serious criminal offences are rare."