County Court judge Frank Gucciardo said on Monday that Shane Kaufmann, the former manager of the Evans Tavern in Wodonga, had to be jailed after taking advantage of the vulnerable teenager under the guise of offering her shelter.

Judge Gucciardo said the 14-year-old and her girlfriend, aged 18, had been living an itinerant lifestyle when Kaufmann came across them sleeping in a bank ATM machine foyer in May 2013.

Kaufmann woke the two girls up, offered them food and told them they could stay at his home.

Kaufmann, who had a long criminal history, took the girls back to where they had been occasionally staying to collect their belongings, and while waiting for them he stole a gas bottle.

Judge Gucciardo said Kaufmann then gave alcohol to the girls who also smoked cannabis and took valium and ice.

The judge said the 14-year-old girl later found herself naked in Kaufmann's bedroom where he performed oral sex on the teenager who had earlier told him she was only 14.

The next day Kaufmann put on a pornographic movie in his bedroom as he lay between the two girls.

Kaufmann began performing oral sex on the 14-year-old before her friend got up and walked out of the bedroom.

When Kaufmann left the house to go to a dentist's appointment, both girls discussed what he had been doing to the 14-year-old and they decided to leave and go to the police.

Kaufmann was arrested and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16 and one count of theft.

He initially told police he had had sex with the 18-year-old girl but not with the 14-year-old.

Judge Gucciardo said Kaufmann had taken advantage of the 14-year-old and abused her for his own sexual gratification and the courts had to denounce such behaviour.

Kaufmann was jailed for nine months and, on his release, must complete a two-year community correction order and 200 hours of unpaid community work.

Kaufmann was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 15 years.