By Pamela McClounie

Last updated at 11:11, Monday, 05 November 2012

A man who robbed two girls of their childhood with a campaign of systematic abuse has been jailed for 10 years.

Robert Kidd, of Carlisle: Jailed for 10 years after he admitted three charges of indecent assault against one girl and a further count of the same offence against another

Robert Kidd, 53, “corrupted and debauched” the young girls over a decade, leaving them with lasting psychological damage, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The court heard how they had been too scared to tell anyone what had happened until years later – when they confided in one another.

They had made “harrowing” statements on the impact his abuse had on them. One was in reception class at primary school when the abuse began. It continued until she was a young teenager.

The girls – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – finally reported the abuse to police last September and Kidd, of Botcherby Avenue, Botcherby, Carlisle, was arrested and questioned in November. He initially denied any wrongdoing, the court was told.

At an earlier court hearing, Kidd, who was described as being of “low intelligence”, admitted three charges of indecent assault against one girl and a further count of the same offence against another. He admitted the offences a short time before his trial.

Judge Batty said: “One of the girls was at a young age when all this started. You groomed her, pretended to help, assist and comfort her. That was a precursor to the systematic sex abuse of the grossest kind.

“You robbed these girls of their childhood and for that you will be punished.

“I have read the victim impact statements and they are harrowing. Both of these children were frightened of you and you have left them with profound and lasting psychological damage – to me that is an aggravating feature in this case.

“These were not offences of rape but they come very close to it.”

Kidd was disqualified from working with children for life, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and banned from having unsupervised contact with children under 16.

First published at 11:09, Monday, 05 November 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk