The man, who cannot be named, was due to stand trial in Wollongong District Court yesterday on three assault charges relating to allegations he molested the girl in 2004, when she was aged just nine.

However, the man yesterday struck a deal with the prosecution in which he agreed to plead guilty to the most serious of the charges, sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 10.

A set of agreed facts handed to the court  detailed the abuse, which the girl had kept secret for five years before eventually telling a family member.

The documents said the girl was living with her father, mother (her parents are now separated) and sister in a home south of Wollongong at the time of the assault.

The court heard the victim and her sister asked their father one day in 2004 if they could invite their neighbour over for a visit.

The man agreed to the request, telling the girl’s sister to go next door to issue the invitation.

While she was gone, the man went into the victim’s bedroom and pulled her onto his lap for a ‘‘hug’’.

He then sexually assaulted her.

When she tried to move away, he told her ‘‘don’t move’’ and further molested her.

He stopped when his other daughter and the young neighbour returned to the house.

Police spoke to the girl in 2005 but she did not report any sexual assault.

She eventually disclosed the incident to a family member in July 2009.

The incident was reported to police in 2011.

In January last year the man, now based in Sydney, attended Newtown police station, where he was later arrested. He denied that any sexual abuse had taken place. He will be sentenced in December.