'Sexual predator' jailed for abusing schoolgirls
Ben Cairns committed the "most heinous of crimes" against four girls between 2014 and 2020, police said
- Published
A "sexual predator" who abused four schoolgirls over a six-year period has been jailed for 15 years.
Ben Cairns, of Boston, committed the "most heinous of crimes" against the girls between 2014 and 2020, Lincolnshire Police said.
The 44-year-old was convicted of seven charges relating to sexual assaults against children under 13 at Lincoln Crown Court, after a nine-day trial in March.
He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life when he was sentenced at the same court on 11 July.
Sgt Cherry Miller said his victims had shown "immense courage in coming forward".
She said: "Ben Cairns would be a free man if it was not for their bravery in giving their evidence and confronting their abuser.
"Cairns is a sexual predator who gained the trust of the victims and their families. He abused the trust placed in him to commit the most heinous of crimes, preying on their vulnerability."
She commended the victims' "incredible strength and determination" during the investigation and court proceedings, and hoped the sentence would give them "some measure of closure".
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here, external.
Download the BBC News app from the App Store, external for iPhone and iPad or Google Play, external for Android devices