The owner of a gym in Leigh has been warned to expect a prison sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a child. 

Jurors at Basildon Crown Court deliberated for less than an hour before delivering their verdict on Matthew Rattenbury. 

Dressed in a dark suit, he repeatedly put his hands to his face and closed his eyes after the verdict was read, prompting cries and sobs from the public gallery.

He has been released on conditional bail until his sentencing date of December 10. 

Rattenbury, 42, of Chestnut Avenue in Gosfield, was convicted after a three-day trial in which his victim did not testify. 

Prosecutors instead relied on an eyewitness who happened upon the sexual assault in progress and filmed it for the police. 

Rattenbury, who is the founder and co-owner of Club One Hundred in Rectory Grove, insisted he was actually giving the girl an innocent sports therapy massage. 

But prosecutor Natalie Bird insisted the videos clearly showed him repeatedly touching the child's private parts. 

"The prosecution say that by the end of this trial, if not already, you will be sure that he’s lying about that," she said after playing the videos during her opening statement. 

“The prosecution will say that you can and should be sure that Matthew Rattenbury has no defence.”

The jury of seven women and five men unanimously agreed after their short deliberations on Friday, November 15. 

Presiding judge Recorder Nicholas Bacon KC told the court: "At least to my mind, there is no question that the custody threshold is going to be passed. An immediate custodial sentence is very likely."

But he ordered the probation service to complete a pre-sentence report which will assess Rattenbury's ongoing risk. 

"I have been persuaded by your counsel that it is not necessary to remand you from now until December 10," Recorder Bacon told Rattenbury - but warned him not to take that as an indication that he would not be going to prison.

"It is clearly on the agenda," the judge said. "This is a very serious matter and you should be under no illusion about that. Is that clear?"

"That's clear," Rattenbury said.

Turning to the jury, the judge said: "It falls upon me now, members of the jury, to thank you... I thank you very much indeed for the assistance that you have provided to this court.

"Thank you very much indeed for your time and your patience and I wish you a good weekend."