A CHESHIRE man who sexually abused two children over a period of many years has been jailed for seven years.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that Alan Kent, 73, from Runcorn, abused two children in two separate spates of abuse between 2005 and 2019.
He preyed on the children in a similar way although there were 10 years between the periods of his offending – his abuse of one child began around 2005 and the other around 2015.
He offered to pay for sexual favors from them and indulged his sexual fantasies while the children understood very little of what he was asking them to do.
The parents of the children knew nothing of the abuse. It came to light when they spoke out. One told a partner when she was an adult, the other told a teacher at her school.
The police were called in and Kent was arrested at his home in June 2019 and was eventually charged with nine counts of sexual assault on a child, four of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one charge of attempting to sexually assault a child.
He denied all of the charges but was convicted following a trial at Chester Crown Court.
On Friday, February 18, at Liverpool Crown Court, he was jailed for seven years and was placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for life.
The CPS also applied for an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order that bans Kent from any contact with girls under the age of 16 and from making any contact with either of his victims. This was granted by the court.
Jo Lazzari is Head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offenses Unit at CPS Mersey Cheshire. She said: “Alan Kent’s offense has spanned several years and caused unimaginable distress and trauma to his two victims.
“His offending seemed to get worse over the years and he has learned nothing from the harm he has done.
“He is now in his seventies and some of his offending dates back almost 20 years. But that is no hindrance to the Crown Prosecution Service bringing a prosecution.
“The CPS would like to thank the victims in this case and their families for coming forward and helping us to get this dangerous predatory offender jailed.
“Their courage in supporting a trial has undoubtedly made other children safe from his depravity. We recognize that abuse stays with survivors for their whole life. If there are people out there who have been affected by similar trauma we would urge you to come forward no matter how long ago it happened.
“We are working with the police and the courts to make sure as many abusers as possible are brought to justice and that victims receive the support they deserve.”
