Man jailed for 16 sex offences against boys

Richard Taylor's victims were commended for their bravery having had to "endure revisiting their horrific and distressing experiences"

A man has been jailed for 20 years for sex offences against children.

Richard Taylor, 56, of Icklingham, in Suffolk, was found guilty of 16 offences against boys between 1999 and 2003.

Taylor, of West Street, was convicted in June of four counts of indecent assault of a boy under the age of 14, nine counts of gross indecency against a boy under 14, two counts of indecent assault of a boy under 16 and one count of rape of a boy under 16.

Officers commended the bravery of Taylor’s victims in coming forward and helping secure a conviction at Ipswich Crown Court.

Det Con Jen Botting said: “I’d like to pay tribute to the immense bravery and courage of both victims and their families.

"This was a highly complex and difficult case to investigate and without their evidence, it would have been extremely hard to secure this conviction and sentence against Taylor."

She said victims were forced to "endure revisiting their horrific and distressing experiences" during evidence because of Taylor's not guilty pleas.