A suspicious mum caught a man in a sexual relationship with her underage daughter by making a secret recording of them kissing in her room.

Witold Witczak, of Downsfield Road in Lache, Chester, was spared jail for ‘grooming’ the girl.

Witczak, 34, was ‘only concerned with his own sexual desires’, the court was told.

He admitted kissing the victim and was sentenced for that offence, despite the court’s suspicions the relationship went further.

Judge Patrick Thompson said: “You engaged in a relationship with this girl, sending her sexual text messages and kissing her.

“It is the court’s suspicion that more happened, but I cannot sentence you for that.

“You were only concerned, no doubt, with your own sexual desires.

“It is clear there was grooming of this child and it’s clear there has been a breach of trust which aggravates your offence.”

Sexual messages sent between Witczak and the victim, who is still underage and cannot be identified, went as far back as 2014.

Police found hundreds of texts on his phone which included them proclaiming their love for each other.

When her mum became suspicious of the relationship, she left a phone in her child’s room to record their conversation.

To her horror, when the recording was played back, the defendant and victim were heard kissing and Witczak also made sexual remarks about her daughter’s breasts.

Caroline Harris, prosecuting, described it as an ‘ordeal’ for the mother.

The girl had not wished for the man, who has lost his job as a scrap metal worker, to be prosecuted.

Witczak, who has daughters of his own, initially denied their relationship when he was arrested on January 13.

He continued to send explicit messages to the girl while on bail.

'Needs to have his thinking confronted'

Myles Wilson, defending, made the case Witczak should be spared prison so he could be put through a rehabilitation program.

He said: “Mr Witczak is someone who needs to have his thinking confronted and addressed.

“He needs to understand better why what happened was wrong, not just for his own benefit, but for the benefit of the public to reduce the risk of reoffending.”

Witczak, who required a translator during the hearing, has no previous convictions in the UK or at home in Poland.

The case had also cost him his partner of 10 years.

Judge Thompson said: “You could clearly have no complaints were you to go to prison today. The public no doubt expect me to do that and you deserve to serve that sentence.

“But I have to look at what is good for the community and if you would be to serve a six-month custodial spell there would be no sex offence treatment programmes available to you.”

Full sentence

Witczak had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual activity with a girl. The 34-year-old received a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which stops him communicating with children under 16 in daily life, via telephone or using the internet.

Witczak was added to the sex offenders register for seven years.

He must go through a sex offenders treatment programme, 35 hours of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.