Mohammed Javed, 39, admitted groping the girls when they worked at Luci and Lina's Fish Bar in Kempston, near Bedford. The father-of-two from Luton, who was a joint owner of the business, exploited his position as their employer, Luton Crown Court heard.

Javed, who is married to a lawyer, started to "push the boundaries" after taking over the business in the summer of 2008, said prosecutor Beverly Cripps.

Ms Cripps said Javed came up from behind and put his hand on the breasts of one of the 16-year-old girls. The other girl, who was also 16, was immediately made to feel uncomfortable by Javed when she started work and was also groped by Javed. The police were called after the second girl told her mother.

Javed, of Conway Road, Luton initially denied eight charges of sexual assault against the two teenagers and a woman in her 30s. He changed his plea to guilty on a charge of sexual assault against each of the two 16-year-olds before they were due to give evidence.

On the judge's direction, the jury found him not guilty of two charges of sexual assault against the woman in her 30s. The other four charges relating to the two girls were left on the file.

Defence barrister, Jacqueline Lule, said Javed had been publicly embarrassed by the case. He said his wife pregnant Karen, who until 2007 worked for a solicitor's firm in Luton before an illness, remained loyal, but said they had been going through "difficult times."

Ms Lule said as well as his interest in the Kempston shop, Javed had another shop in Luton where he worked seven days a week.

Judge John Bevan, QC, passed a six month jail sentence suspended for two years. He ordered Javed to abide by a curfew between 11pm and 8am for the next three months.

He must pay a £500 fine on each of the two charges and £200 compensation to each of the two girls as well as £1,000 prosecution costs. The judge said the total of £2,400 should be paid off at the rate of £150 a month. Javed must also pay a £15 victim surcharge. In addition he must register as a sex offender for five years.

The judge told him he had been guilty of a breach of trust saying: "This sort of behaviour in the workplace is wholly unacceptable.”