Christopher Daniel, 18, sexually assaulted a young girl over the course of two years before she complained to her family last year. Daniel was convicted of the abuse at Dumbarton Sheriff's Court but received an absolute discharge meaning he does not have a criminal record

A teenage boy who molested a young girl over the course of two years has walked away from court without a criminal record despite being found guilty of sexual assault.

Christopher Daniel, 18, denied abusing the girl while he was aged between 15 and 17 and she was between six and eight during a three-day trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

Despite the guilty verdict, Sheriff Gerard Sinclair handed Daniel an 'absolute discharge', meaning he has not received a criminal conviction and will not be obliged to sign the sex offenders' register.

Daniel is currently studying to become a dentist and future employers will not find details of his criminal conviction.

The victim's mother told STV News: 'How is that justice? How does this teach anything to anybody that's committing this crime?

'My idea isn't that he gets strung up and we throw him in prison and we lock the key away, but this is what the sex offenders register is for. It's to protect children.'

The young girl told her family that she was being abused by the teenager.

Her family had wanted to appeal the Sheriff's ruling following the case in December.

Daniel's legal team Beltrami & Co said the Sheriff accepted the case was 'wholly exceptional'.

The Sheriff has provided a letter to judicial authorities, although the victim's family have not been allowed to view the correspondence.

They believe the Sheriff placed too much consideration in Daniel's supportive upper-middle class family, his education as well as his future career prospects.