A FORMER DJ who sexually abused a 14-year-old boy while he was sleeping has been jailed for five years.

Stephen Marsters carried out the assault at his former home in Burnley after gaining the boy’s trust over their shared appreciation of music and computer games, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Marsters, who also worked as a courier, denied charges of sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration but was found guilty by a jury.

The court was told the assaults took place on April 5, last year, when the boy, who can not be named for legal reasons, was sleeping over at Marsters’ house.

The court heard Marsters, now of Skinner Lane, Bradford, asked the boy if he could give him a massage but the victim declined.

When the victim went to sleep Marsters began to rub cream on his ‘private areas’.

The victim awoke when Marsters began to touch him sexually and the boy got up and locked himself in the bathroom, the court was told.

Defending, Clare Thomas said her client was a loner who had been brought up in care and was not looking forward to the prospect of prison.

Miss Thomas said: “The defendant knows that the only sentence for him will be one of immediate custody.

“He has been to prison before in 2001 for an affray.

“His particular concern is if the other inmates find out what he is in for.

“He is somewhat of a loner. He doesn’t really like mixing with other people.”

The court was told Marsters has a previous conviction for an indecent assault on a boy in 1998.

As well as imposing the custodial sentence Judge Andrew Woolman made Marsters subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order banning him from having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16.

Judge Woolman said: “You began to groom your victim over several months to get him to spend time with you.

“I understand from Miss Thomas you have had a difficult life.

“But that doesn’t justify you abusing a 14-year-old boy for your own sexual satisfaction.”