A 92-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment after being found guilty for a series of sexual offences following a nine-day trail.

Terence Galligan, 92 from Argyle Road, Newbury has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, March 19.

A jury found him guilty for a string of charges including indecency with a child under the age of 14, indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16, buggery on a girl under the age of 16 and sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.

Galligan was also found guilty of taking indecent photographs of a child and the possession of prohibited images of children.

All the offences were against two victims between 1971 and 2017 in Kent and Berkshire.

Detective Sergeant Joanne Pape, investigating officer of Newbury CID, said: “Galligan has had plenty of opportunities to admit his crimes, but has shown no remorse and made his victims go through the ordeal of a trial.

“They’ve had to relive their experiences of abuse from offences which date back 40 years.

“The victims in this case have shown courage and bravery throughout and I would like to thank them for their support during this investigation.

“I hope this sentence will help them to start the healing process, as Galligan begins his time in prison, which is a significant period considering his age.

“I would also like to thank the officers who have worked so tirelessly on this case since last year, in particular Detective Constable Jason Walsh, who led the initial investigation, and secured much of the evidence which has led to this conviction.

“Thames Valley Police takes any report of sexual abuse, whether this has occurred recently, or is non-recent, very seriously and will always carry out a thorough investigation to hold those who commit these crimes to account through the court process.”

Galligan was first arrested on September 19 in 2017 and subsequently charged on June 27 in 2018.