A DRUNKEN 58-year-old man found lying naked on top of a five-year-old girl in a backyard tent has been jailed.

The Mercury reports the Tasmanian man, who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty to the charge of indecent assault but said he was just trying to keep the child warm.

The Supreme Court in Hobart heard today the man was hosting a family of five when the incident occurred on February 5 this year.

After the family went to bed, the mother became suspicious something was happening outside where her three children were sleeping in a tent and went to investigate with her husband.

As the parents approached the tent they heard their daughter cry: "I want mummy."

They heard the offender reply: "Don't worry about mummy, I will keep you warm."

They opened the tent flap and found him lying naked on top of the girl, whose pants and underpants had been removed. The offender had an erection.

When asked to explain what he was doing he replied: "Just keeping the children warm."

An altercation ensued and the family fled and notified police who arrested the man later that night.

Passing sentence, Justice Alan Blow said although the offence could have been worse it had had a "very significant impact on the child and her family".

"One disturbing aspect of this is that you don't seem to acknowledge there is anything wrong with what you did," he said

"Nobody else thinks like that and that's why you're going to jail today."

He imposed a nine-month jail term and ordered the man be placed on the sex offenders register for seven years upon his release.

Read the full story at The Mercury

• Man found lying on five-year-old girl
• Said he was trying to keep child warm
• Jailed for nine months