The Queen's former chaplain was today jailed for 39 months after sexually assaulting a young churchgoer.

Canon Dr Stephen Palmer, 68, promised to help the 17-year-old girl with her religious education exams but instead assaulted her six times in his home.

He touched her breasts and vagina as she sat on a 'bench or pew' at his home after his wife took his two young children to school.

Portsmouth Crown Court today heard the offences took place between 1975 and 1976.

The court heard there was a 'degree of planning' involved and that his actions left the victim feeling 'suicidal' and have caused her to have 'nightmares'.

All of the offences took place at his home and in his study in Stubbington, where he was serving as a curate in the local church.

Palmer, who was in the Royal Navy, was given the title of Honorary Chaplain to the Queen in 2008 and retired from the post a year later.

An Honorary Chaplain to the Queen is a member of the clergy and is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom.

The court heard Palmer would wait for his wife to leave the house and take their two young children to school before he would assault the young girl.

The victim, now 57, wrote a statement, which was read out to the court by prosecutor, Tammy Mears.

It said: "What happened to me all those years ago has affected me greatly. What he did to me caused me to withdraw from the church.

"I found it hard to trust anyone from the church and have never been able to return to church.

"You think of people involved in the church as being caring and trustworthy, but this was not my experience.

"I feel very sad that despite my strong beliefs, I was unable to practice my beliefs.

"Stephen Palmer was a man of the church and someone people looked up to and trusted.

"I couldn't cope with what had happened. I have tried to commit suicide.

"I have suffered from on-going nightmares over the years."

Sentencing him to 39 months, Recorder Nigel Lickley QC said: "Stephen Palmer I have to sentence you for offences of indecent assault that took place almost 40 years ago.

"Your offending took place in the following context. At the time you had left the Royal Navy and had become a priest.

"You were approached to be a curate in Stubbington and were provided with a house where you lived with your wife and two young children.

"You ran a youth group. One member of the group was a young 17 year old and she was small and slight in build and perhaps a quieter member of the group.

"She was starting her A Levels at the time and was studying religious education.

"Her father asked you to give her additional tuition and you went to her home.

"Thereafter she attended your home on a number of occasions, usually in the morning at 9am when your wife took your children to school.

"In evidence, she remembered she sat on a bench or pew.

"You denied that she had ever been to your house for the tuition.

"On that first occasion, after doing some work, you sat next to her and used your had to touch her breast inside her clothes and then her vagina inside her knickers.

"On one occasion you did something else and forced her to lie down on the bench or pen you laid on top of her.

"You pressed your body on to hers. And on the final occasion you followed her and pushed her up the stairs and pressed up against her.

"She thought she was going to be raped and it must have been a terrifying experience.

"She said you said 'come on' and tellingly, she said you told her there was 'nothing she could do about it' as 'no one would believe her'.

"She left home and went to university where she developed a drug and alcohol problem.

"She has suffered over the years from what you have done.

"She came forward recently because she was encouraged by other people were coming forward in other cases and people were believing them.

"The offending took place when your wife was away and there was a degree of planning.

"The victim withdrew from the church and her church life was very important to her, but the trust she had was destroyed by you.

"This case demonstrates a breach of trust. She came to you for tuition and she was abused.

"Young people looked to you for guidance and support."

He was convicted of six counts of indecent assault following a five-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court in May.

And today Palmer, of Fintry, Aberdeen, was jailed for three years and three months.

He became an ordained deacon in 1974 and an ordained priest a year later in 1975.

Palmer was also a vicar in Portsdown, from 1996 to 2002 and Newport on the Isle of Wight from 2002 to 2009.

Honorary Chaplains wear a red cassock and a special bronze badge consisting of the royal cypher and crown within an oval wreath.

The badge is worn below medal ribbons or miniature medals during the conduct of religious services on the left side of the scarf by chaplains who wear the scarf and on academic or ordinary clerical dress by other chaplains.