Fenland man jailed for sexually abusing young child over seven year period

John Francis, now of Stephen Road, Prestatyn, Wales, abused the girl in Cambridgeshire on numerous occasions when she was aged between six and 13.

A court heard how Francis, now 76, told his victim not to tell anyone about the abuse or he would go to prison and people around her would get hurt.

The victim only disclosed the abuse in recent years after she had been to see her GP.

In police interview Francis admitted the offences and told officers he had struggled to fight off his ‘sexual sins’.

At Cambridge Crown Court Francis previously pleaded guilty to two charges of exposure, one charge of assault by penetration of a child under 13, and two charges of sexual assault on a child under 13.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday (November, 8) where he was handed a total of eight years in prison.

Francis was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a period of 10 years and put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The SHPO prevents Francis from contacting the victim or her family. It also prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with children under 16 and having any voluntary or paid activity with people under 18.

DC Clemie Yaxley said: “This offence has had a huge impact on the victim throughout her life.

“She was very brave in coming forward and has shown great courage and dignity throughout the whole process.

“I hope she is now able to find some closure from this traumatic period of her life.

“Regardless of when it happened, we will always take reports of child sex abuse very seriously.”

For information and advice, including how to report recent and historical sexual abuse, visit www.cambs.police.uk/childprotection.

If you are worried about a child, call us on 101, or if you think a child is at immediate risk of abuse call 999.