A man from the Lake District has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for child sex offences.
Duncan Waterhouse, of Coleridge Court in Keswick, was sentenced today (April 20th 2016) at Carlisle Crown Court.
The 45-year-old will also serve 5 years on licence once he has been released from prison and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.
He was charged with 20 offences to which he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, which are featured below:
- 12 counts of intentionally touching an underage child between 2012 and 2016;
- 4 counts of causing an underage child to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity;
- 2 counts of causing an underage child to watch a person engaging in sexual activity;
- 2 charges of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with an underage child.
The charges relate to four victims.
Detective Constable Paul Scougal said: “Today justice has been served against Waterhouse, a predatory paedophile whose actions were utterly perverse and deplorable.
"The victims in this case will have to live with the memories of his actions and I would like to thank them and their parents for their bravery. Our thoughts continue to be with them.
“Protecting children in Cumbria is of the utmost important to Cumbria Police, and we work hard to bring those found to be abusing children to justice.
"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward and report them. We take all complaints seriously, and they will be investigated professionally and sensitively."
Isla Chilton, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: “Duncan Waterhouse today begins a prison sentence for carrying out sexual abuse on impressionable young girls.
“The sexual abuse of young people strips away their innocence and their trust in adults who they should be able to look up to as future role models.
"t has long lasting impacts on their lives, not only at the time but well into their adult lives and could have significant effects on all their future relationships.
“The four victims have shown immense bravery in coming forward and taking a stand against their abuser, which resulted in Waterhouse pleading guilty to the offences he faced.
"I sincerely hope that following today’s sentence, they can begin to move on with their lives in the knowledge that justice has been served.
“We are committed to bringing those who have committed such offences before the courts and will continue to work with the police and other agencies to support victims in every possible way throughout the process.”
Cumbria Police can be contacted via 101, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.