A Swindon paedophile who abused two young girls has been jailed for 23 years.
72-year-old Michael Barker was sentenced today at Swindon Crown Court following a lengthy Wiltshire Police investigation.
The defendant, of Albert Hill in Durham but formerly of Swindon, was convicted last year of six counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape and gross indecency with a child.
The offences took place between 1974 and 1997 at addresses in Swindon, Chippenham and Bishop Auckland.
He targeted young girls who were known to him and trusted him, carrying out abuse over sustained periods of time.
One of the women he abused provided a victim impact statement to the court.
She said: “He abused me from a very young age, took away my childhood, my innocence and part of my adult life.
“I suffered horrific nightmares where I would wake up crying, a fear of being alone in my own home.
“After many years of torment and fear and pushing the past years to the back of my head, the truth finally came out.
“I had to accept that I was going to have to tell strangers the most horrific life I had endured for years. It made me feel constantly sick but deep down I knew I had to for myself and the other victims.
“He is a cruel, evil, manipulative sex offender who is never going to hurt anyone again. I am no longer a victim, I am a survivor.”
Detective Constable Nicola Ainsley, from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, praised the victims for coming forward.
She said: “First and foremost, I would like to praise the victims in this case, who have endured incredibly traumatic experiences but despite this, found the courage to report Barker’s behaviour to police.”
DC Ainsley added that reporting sexual abuse is important regardless of how much time has passed and acknowledged that many victims speak to police for the first time about their ordeal.
She continued: “The bravery of the victims has enabled us to ensure Barker was put before the courts where they reached a guilty verdict, and today, he was given a 23-year prison sentence.”
She said that she hoped the sentence would provide some form of closure, while recognising the lifelong impact of abuse at such a young age.
“Barker is an abhorrent individual – he abused these young girls, often in their own homes where they should have felt most safe, subsequently robbing them of their childhoods.”
