One of the youngest sex offenders to be arrested to assaulting an adult has been sent on an education course.

The 11 year-old Romanian boy forced his hands between his victim’s thighs after confronting her while she was out on a shopping trip.

The boy, who has now turned 12 and cannot be named because of his age, then rode off on his bicycle.

He denied sexually assaulting the woman but was found guilty following a trial at North London Youth Court.

The boy had given police a variety of different addresses before they tracked down him and his family.

District Judge John Perkins handed him a nine-month youth rehabilitation order - the juvenile equivalent of a community order - and sent him on an educational course.

He said: “This was an unpleasant offence, and you continued to deny that you did this when in my view, the evidence was overwhelming.

“It clearly caused great distress to the young woman concerned, and because you showed no remorse and did not admit it she had to come to court to tell me about it.”

The boy, who is not in school and spends his days cycling around the streets with friends, smirked as he left court with his parents, who were ordered to undergo childcare training.

He launched his attack in the early afternoon of June 26 this year in Tottenham, north London, after approaching the victim.

Prosecutor Lorna Ewen said: “He then, with his right hand, moved towards her and grabbed her between the thighs before cycling off.”

She called the police and pointed him out to them.

The boy, who lives in Manor Park, denied sexual assault and was found guilty.