A former Bermuda Regiment Major contacted a teenage girl 74 times in one day, breaking a court order barring him from any communication with her.

Anthony Steed, 47, admitted to texting the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, 74 times on his mobile phone between 5.35 a.m. and 11.43 p.m. on October 27, 2006.

He pleaded guilty to breaching the order and was yesterday fined and given probation when he was sentenced at Magistrates' Court.

The court was told how the girl's guardian became concerned that an inappropriate relationship was blossoming between Steed and the girl in June 2006.

She complained to Child and Family services and obtained a Protection Intervention Order, under the 1988 Children's Act in September.

The Act states that a Protection Intervention Order can be made as long as the court is satisfied that the person's contact with a child causes, or is likely to cause, the child to suffer significant harm.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told Magistrate Juan Wolffe that Steed was served the order on October 12.

She said that a transcript of what was said in the texts could not be produced but that the sheer volume of texts was clearly a breach of the order.

Ms Clarke recommended that he be incarcerated for six to 12 weeks and receive probation. The maximum penalty for breaching the order was a $3,000 or six month imprisonment. The findings of a Social Inquiry report also recommended incarceration and said Steed had "a high risk of re-offending".

It also stated that the defendant did not appear to show remorse for his actions or understand that there was something wrong about a relationship between an adult and a girl under the age of 16.

Steed, of Bat-N-Ball Lane, Sandys, said: "I come before this court to apologise for the incident. I recognise that my breaching the court order was disobeying what the court said.

"It was never my intention to cause any harm. This has been an ordeal that has been distressful to say the least. I want to start my life over again with a clean slate.

"If I could contact the girl I would say I am sorry for any stress or harm I may have caused her or her family. It was never my intention."

Mr. Wollfe said he understood the Crown's recommendation but felt that because it was Steed's first offence he should not impose the maximum penalties.

He said: "Through no fault of the Crown the information of the context of the texts was not given. Had the content been of a sexual nature I would not have hesitated to incarcerate him immediately."

Steed was fined $2,000 and given a two year probation order. He was also told to refrain from any contact or communication with the girl.