Pensioner jailed for abusing young girls (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)
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Lechlade pensioner jailed for abusing young girls
6:00pm Tuesday 12th February 2013 in News
Pensioner jailed for abusing young girls
A PENSIONER who sexually abused two young girls more than 20 years apart has been jailed for eight years.
Lechlade man John Curley (pictured) molested one of the children from the age of four until she was 11.
When she finally spoke out, an older victim of the 72-year-old, also came forward to say how Curley had repeatedly assaulted her for a number of years starting in the late 1970s.
Swindon Crown Court heard how both victims had suffered terrible psychological damage and each had resorted to self harming.
Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court how Curley started assaulting the older victim, now in her forties, when she was an eight-year-old.
The assaults happened on an almost weekly basis until the early '80s when she was about 11 years old.
Miss Marlow said the second set of offences began around 2000 and continued until 2008.
The girl, now a teenager, said she had been in reception class when it started and it had continued until she was aged 11.
Miss Marlow said as well as the trauma of the sexual abuse, which took place in Swindon, it was also painful as both mentioned the defendant's long finger nails.
Curley, of Canon Drive, Lechlade, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and one of sexual activity with a child.
Michael Hall, defending, said his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to save his victims the trauma of having to give evidence.
"He is ready to take these first important steps to rectify what has clearly been a fault in his thinking," he added.
Jailing him, Judge Douglas Field said it was clear both victims had suffered considerable psychological damage.
"Both have exhibited behavioural problems as a consequence of this sort of sexual offending," he said. "That must be reflected in my sentence."
Curley was told he would also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
