A babysitter who swerved prison despite having sex with an 11-year-old boy has walked free from court again after top judges ruled her sentence was not too soft.

Jade Hatt, 21, of Swindon, was given a suspended sentence in October after her victim's father said his son saw the experience as a 'notch on his belt'.

The court heard the boy was mature for his age and the father described him as 'sex mad' and 'fully up for the experience'.

But the sentence sparked outrage, with charities speaking out against it and thousands signing a petition asking for it to be looked at again.

Babysitter Jade Hatt, who was spared prison despite having sex with an 11-year-old boy, has not been sent to jail today despite the Attorney General arguing her suspended sentence was too soft

The case was today back in court after the country's senior law officer, Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC, referred it to top judges as 'unduly lenient'.

Lawyers representing Mr Wright at the Court of Appeal in London said Hatt should have gone straight to jail.

They argued the crown court judge didn't take enough account of the victim's youth and wrongly considered him to be 'emotionally mature'.

But Lord Justice Treacy, sitting with Mrs Justice Simler and Judge John Wait, disagreed and upheld the suspended term.

The judge said: 'This was a proper case for the Attorney General to bring. However after anxious review we have concluded that we should not alter the sentence imposed below.'

The court heard Hatt had straddled the boy while she was looking after him and that they had had sex.

The case came before judges at the Royal Courts of Justice, but they ruled the sentence was not too lenient

She pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child at Swindon Crown Court and was sentenced in October.

Following the sentencing, the boy's mum, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the sentence was much too soft.

The mother of the boy Hatt (pictured) had sex with has condemned the 'lenient' sentence

At that time she said: 'He is not sex mad. He is 11 years old. Of course he is interested in girls but that is how it is in the playground.

'It is girls his own age. This should be looked at the same as if this was a 21-year-old man having sex with a little girl.

'It is no different in my eyes, and she got away with it way too lightly.'

Refusing to send Hatt to jail, Lord Justice Treacy said her low IQ and very poor reasoning skills amounted to 'substantial mitigation', as did her remorse and admission of guilt.

He also said the crown court judge was unable to impose a certain type of community sentence, as is it isn't available for women.

He added: 'Had she been male, the court would have had the option of considering a community order with requirements.

'That is an alternative to custody where there is sufficient prospect of rehabilitation.