A Canberra man who pleaded guilty to performing sexual acts with a girl while he was her manager at a fast food restaurant has avoided jail time.
Rhett Dickerson, 26, faced one charge of sexual intercourse with a minor, an offence the court heard happened in the restaurant's disabled toilet.
He was 25 at the time, and the girl 15.
Justice John Burns accepted that the man was "feeling bad" about his employment situation, and that the girl's attention had made him feel better.
But he rejected claims the man could not control his urges.
As an adult, it was up to him to ensure his relationship with the girl "remained appropriately professional and detached," Justice Burns said.
Dickerson's belief the girl was a consenting participant did not mitigate the offence, Justice Burns said.
Justice Burns sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment, wholly suspended, and a two year good behaviour order.
He took the man's early guilty plea as a show of remorse, and said it also had relieved the girl of having to give evidence at trial.
The court heard the man had a minor criminal history, and no history of child sex offences.
The man will be registered as a child sex offender.