Man, 80, jailed for abusing teenager 30 years ago

Michael Davies was jailed for 17 years

An 80-year-old man has been jailed for 17 years after being convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl in the 1990s.

Michael Davies, from Tewkesbury, was convicted of rape and four counts of indecent assault after trial at Gloucester Crown Court in September.

The victim said: "In many respects my life stopped at the point of the abuse, I have remained a child and have never been able to move on."

Jailing Davies at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday, Judge James Townsend said: "One of the tragic consequences of offending of this sort is it makes the entirely innocent feel profoundly guilty."

Davies must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in prison, instead of the usual half, and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register on release.

He was also given an indefinite restraining him preventing him from contacting the victim.

Judge Townsend told the victim he hoped Davies' sentence would help "reduce the extent of the suffering you've undergone over all of these years".

The abuse began with Davies touching the girl over her clothing, before it escalated to assault by penetration and finally rape, the court heard.

In a statement, the victim said that when the abuse began she was unable to focus at school and failed her GCSEs, and later dropped out of higher education.

"I was carrying his dark secret that took all my energy. I often wonder what I might have achieved if this had not happened," she said.

She said she had attempted to take her own life on a number of occasions, and she lived in a state of anxiety and fear.

The victim said she had spent 30 years wondering if anyone would believe her, adding: "I wish I had the strength, encouragement and support to seek justice years ago, instead of suffering alone."

Investigating officer Det Con Emma Smith, of Gloucestershire Police, praised the victim for her bravery in coming forwards.

"This case shows that you can report incidents or choose to proceed with a prosecution at a time when you want to and feel comfortable in doing so. It is about victims and survivors having a choice," she said.