A 27-YEAR-OLD Yorkley man who ’exploited’ a vulnerable 15-year-old girl was jailed for two years 10 months on Tuesday.

Nicholas Nelmes, of Slade Road had a three-month relationship with the girl - but then started seeing another girl of the same age who was in her class at school, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

When he broke up with the girl the police warned him to stay away from her.

Nelmes pleaded guilty to having sexual activity with a child on two occasions between September 20 and December 20, 2014 and to assaulting the girl on January 18 last year.

At the time of the offences he was in breach of two other suspended sentences.

Judge Michael Cullum jailed him for two-and-a-half years for the offences against the schoolgirl and added four months consecutively for breach of the two suspended sentences.

The pair had met at a skateboard park in Yorkley. But her association with Nelmes caused concern for her mother and she reported her daughter missing several times.

Judge Cullum told Nelmes: “Your exploitation of her involved sharing alcohol and mephedrone with her and as a result of that she has been significantly damaged."