A REDDITCH man has been jailed for 10 years for historic sexual offences against young girls.

Graham Ingram, aged 70, of Ansley Close, appeared for sentencing at Worcester Crown Court on Driday, August 9, after he was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault, rape and gross indecency at a trial held there in July this year.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins jailed him for 10 years, which he must serve concurrently from Friday's court appearance, alongside another 10-year sentence imposed by the same court in April last year for four charges of indecent assault, gross indecency and rape.

At that time the court also ordered him to remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Both of the victims were known to Ingram.

One of the victims was aged around nine years old when he began sexually assaulting her in the late 1970s, and he raped her repeatedly between the ages of 12 and 14.

The other was also aged nine when Ingram began sexually assaulting her 20 years later in the late 1990s.

Detective Constable Amjad Iqbal of West Mercia Police said: “Ingram was outwardly a decent and respectable man, trustworthy, responsible, and a pillar of the community. However behind closed doors it was a very different matter and he abused the trust placed in him in the worst way.

“The first victim in particular was systematically abused over a long period of time, and both victims were badly affected by what happened to them.

“They were then put through the further ordeal of having to give evidence at the trials, but their bravery in coming forward and being willing to stand up in court has ensured other children are now protected from Ingram.

“This case is particularly disturbing because the offences took place over a sustained period of time, during which Ingram would have come into contact with other children. We believe there are likely to be more victims, and we sincerely hope they take some comfort from the substantial sentences handed down by the court.”