A man has been jailed for five years and four months after pleading guilty to sexually abusing an underage girl in a Paceville nightclub while holidaying in Malta two years ago.

Lionel Seux, 51, from France, had a change of heart and pleaded guilty to committing the acts in September 2021.

According to evidence that emerged in court during the compilation of evidence, Seux accompanied a 16-year-old girl to the nightclub’s bathroom at around 1am on September 20.

Once inside, he locked the door, undressed her and then himself and, subsequently, proceeded to touch her and himself inappropriately. The court heard it was only the incessant banging on the door by the girl’s friend that stopped the accused from doing anything else.

After the prosecution rested its case, Seux decided to plead guilty to all the charges brought against him. He was given a chance to reconsider his guilty plea after being warned that the crimes he had committed carry a maximum of nine years in jail.

He confirmed his admission when he appeared before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit. He was convicted of non-consensual sexual advances with a minor and of holding the girl against her will since he locked the bathroom door and did not let her leave.

The magistrate said that although he had admitted to the charges, the stage when he filed the admission was late in the proceedings, after the prosecution had brought all its witnesses. He, therefore, could not benefit from the full reduction in punishment as those who file an early guilty plea.

The magistrate sentenced Seux to five years and four months in prison and ordered that the time he spent in preventive custody be reduced from the jail time. He was also ordered to pay just under €5,100 in court expenses related to the appointment of court experts.

Police inspectors John Spiteri and Leeroy Balzan Engerer prosecuted.