A SCHOOLBOY who sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl at least ten times walked free from court yesterday.

The 14-year-old from Darlington, County Durham, was given a two-year supervision order after admitting one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl, as well as two specimen offences of indecently assaulting her.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds told Teesside Crown Court yesterday that the boy was 13 when he sexually assaulted the girl ten or 11 times and also made approaches to another girl.

It emerged in court that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lives in a terraced house in County Durham where he receives round the clock care from five live-in social workers.

His barrister, Ken Gillance, told the court that the care was costing Darlington Borough Council £2,500 a week.

Nine other youngsters are placed in similar units around the county, the court heard.

The court was told the alternative would have been to place him behind bars in a detention centre -where he would have to be isolated because of his crimes.

To keep the youngster in a detention centre, such as Aycliffe Young People's Centre, would cost the authority about £3,800 a week.

Judge Peter Fox QC gave the boy the supervision order, allowing him to stay in the house at the discretion of County Durham Probation Service.

No one from the service was available for comment last night.

Judge Peter Fox told the boy: "I am entirely satisfied that those who have your care at the moment are good people doing their very best for you.

"But let's not escape the fact that what you did repeatedly, you know, and you knew at the time, was very seriously wrong.

"You should bear it in mind that what you did was very wrong indeed and there must be no similar behaviour like that again.

"I had in mind to send you to detention. If there is anything like this again, it will be to detention you will go and for a very long period of time.

"However, because I think I can make sure there will not be anything like this again, because I have got confidence in you, because of what I know and have read about you, I am going to make a supervision order for two years to the local authority." The boy was also put on the Sex Offender's Register for two-and-a-half years, the maximum at his age.

The court also heard that the boy had not been to school since his arrest in March because education authorities considered him to be a risk. A school in County Durham, but outside Darlington, has now agreed to take him, the court was told.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said: "He is not living in Darlington now.

"He is being safely looked after and our plans for caring for him meet both his requirements and those of the wider community."

Although the boy is no longer living in Darlington, the town's borough council still has responsibility for his care