A 38-year-old man groped a teenager while he was celebrating his birthday with friends at a hotel in Claydon, a court has heard.

Despite knowing the girl was only 16 Piotr Bak had ignored her protests and kissed her, squeezed her bottom and touched one of her breasts over her clothing, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Sentencing Bak, who was staying a the Best Western Hotel at the time of the attack in December last year, Judge Emma Peters said: “How disgusting that this young woman had to tolerate a man like you treating her in this way.”

Bak, of Northgate Street, Ipswich, admitted sexually assaulting the girl on December 4 last year.

He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and £1,500 compensation to the victim.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years and banned from contacting the victim until further order.

During the sentencing hearing Judge Peters praised the victim for her bravery and explained that her sentencing options had been limited as Bak, who lives in Poland, wasn’t eligible for a sex offenders’ treatment programme and unpaid work wasn’t suitable as he would have to stay in a hotel in the UK while completing the order.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said Bak had seen the victim while he was having a dinner with three friends at the hotel to celebrate his birthday.

Bak had complimented the girl on her looks and asked how old she was.

One of his friends had told Bak that he “couldn’t have the girl” because she was too young but Bak had told her she was “honey to his eyes” and that he was a “bad man”.

Bak had later beckoned her over and squeezed her tightly in an embrace before kissing her on the neck and cheek and putting his tongue in her mouth.

The girl had tried to push him away and said “No, no”, said Mr Hughes, but Bak had ignored her protests and touched her left breast and squeezed her bottom before touching the waistband of her trousers.

The incident ended when a staff member told Bak to get off her.

Bak was later arrested in his hotel room and said he was six or seven out of 10 drunk and that when he was drunk he “loved everyone".

Peter Spary, for Bak, said his client was genuinely remorseful and described what he did as “drunken, inappropriate, stupid and somewhat pathetic.”