A 50-year-old Borehamwood man who molested and sexually assaulted a teenager in his car was told by a judge today that a significant jail sentence was inevitable.

Mark Sunshine groped the girl on several occasions when he gave her driving lessons and carried out a sex assault on her after he picked her up in a drunken state from a party.

Prosecutor Barnaby Shaw told St Albans Crown Court that the victim is now aged 21 and made a complaint to the police about the man's behaviour last year.

She said Mr Sunshine, who is not related to her, had engaged in telephone banter with her and on one occasion sent her an image of a penis over the phone.

He later told the police it was a picture he found on Google and said he had sent her after he had received a photo of her wearing a bra.

Among sexualised conversations it was alleged that he asked her how she would feel if he booked a hotel bedroom for them.

The woman said Sunshine would put his hand on her leg if his wife Samantha was not around and would slap her on the bottom.

Mr Shaw told the jury of six women and six men that he offered to give the teenager driving lessons.

He said: "When she was in the car he would put his hand down her top and groped her breasts while she was trying to drive."

The victim got drunk at a friend's birthday party and he was asked to take her home. On the way, it is alleged he stopped and put his hand up her dress with the teenager being so drunk she couldn't stop him.

Sunshine, of Furzehill Road, Borehamwood, denied two sample charges of sexual assault between October 2009 and October 2010. He also pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration between January 31, 2011 and March 1, 2011. However, he was convicted by the jury of all charges after five hours and 33 minutes of deliberations.

When questioned by the police, he said he had never sexually assaulted the teenager and denied that there had been any consensual relationship. He said he had given her driving lessons, but he had never fondled her breasts.

After the party he said he had not touched her but that she was drunk and tried to put her hand between his legs. He said he was not attracted to her.

Sunshine was remanded in custody by Judge Stephen Warner for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

The judge told him: "You have been convicted of a serious offences with a number of aggravating features. A significant custodial sentence is inevitable."

He must also sign the Sex Offender Register.