THE director o f an after-school care charity is behind bars after admitting having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Phil Hemmans, head of the Julie Graham Children's Charity, had sex with the youngster about 20 times.

He was only found out when the girl's suspicious parents secretly videoed the pair together.

They say the sickening sight of Hemmans skipping across their living room floor like a teenager, and becoming intimate with their daughter prompted them to call the police immediately.

Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday how Hemmans, 33, took advantage of a friendship between the girl's family and his own to exploit her obvious crush on him.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the relationship was becoming more apparent when the two families went on holiday together.

He told the court: "He spent a lot of time alone with her, even though he was on holiday with his wife. They would go off taking photographs of sunsets and sunrises."

When they returned to their County Durham home, the parents' suspicions grew.

Mr Dryden said: "They decided to place a video camera in the sitting room to reassure themselves.

"They watched the video later that night and saw inappropriate behaviour."

In police interviews, he admitted repeated sex sessions, including oral sex, with the girl, but claims she primarily initiated sex.

Hemmans, formerly of Charlow Close, Sacriston, admitted six counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, and was sentenced to two years, to run concurrently, for each offence. The judge ruled he would serve at least nine months.

He will be put on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

Euan Duff, defending, said Hemmans resigned from his position at the charity when the allegations came to light last November, and has been threatened several time by Sacriston residents. Hemmans and his wife now live in the South.

Speaking after the sentencing, the victim's parents said the sense of betrayal by their former friend was "overwhelming".

The mother said: "He comes across as a very kind person but he is just an actor. He would visit her when we were out.

"We thought it was just a teenage crush. With hindsight it was clear that it wasn't.

"This sentence is just not enough for the way he has devastated our daughter."

, but will serve only nine months in jail followed by an extension up to two years