Rock factory worker jailed for 1960s sex abuse told: 'For more than 40 years you wrecked lives.'

Pensioner Derek Jessop, 75, of Regent Road East, Blackpool, was found guilty of a string of charges relating to the rape and sexual abuse of several children dating back as far as the 1960s, with one girl as young as four.

Judge Graham Knowles said the jury had “rejected his lies” and that Jessop was still maintaining his innocence.

Imposing a 22-year jail term with an extended four year licence period, he said: “These women took a long time to be able to tell anybody what you had done.

“Not one of them found themselves able to go to the police until one victim was able to do it in September last year. The police then contacted others and they agreed to tell the truth about you.

“The reason none of them were able to speak out is because of you and what you did, and intended to do to them - not just physically but psychologically and emotionally, as you exercised utter and total control. You were one of those men who thought you were untouchable.

“For more than 40 years you wrecked lives. You cared nothing for anyone but yourself.

“You are not the bewildered little old man you have pretended to be during your trial. You are in my view a vicious, controlling, cruel and utterly self obsessed man.

“You have done grave harm and you must be severely punished.”

Jessop will serve two thirds of the sentence before the Parole Board will consider whether it is safe to release him on licence.

The jury panel had acquitted his ex-wife Lesley Jessop, 63. of Brooklyn Road, Blackpool, of two counts of indecent assault of a 15-year-old boy between 1984 and 1985, and Jessop’s current wife, Thailand national Malee Kadram, 40, of five counts of indecency with a child and one count of indecent assault relating to two boys at an earlier hearing.

Mrs Kadram sat in the public gallery as her husband was sentenced.

Jessop, who wore a navy cardigan and a set of headphones to help him hear, appeared emotionless in the dock.

The couple, who were arrested at Manchester Airport as they attempted to leave the UK for Thailand, had claimed the allegations were financially motivated.

Jessop, who worked in various rock and sweet factories in the resort, began his campaign of vile sex abuse in the 1960s and 1970s.

He continued to abuse several young girls over a number of years.

One youngster he lured by offering to taking her to see some baby lambs - but he then started to touch her.

The court heard Jessop had offered to take one girl to a caravan where he then abused her and told her not to tell anyone - saying it would be ‘her fault’.

Now adults, their statements were summarised to the judge.

One woman revealed she had only told her mother what had happened in the caravan when she was “dead in her coffin”.

Another said she had “waited her entire adult life for this moment” and said having to relive the events by giving evidence in court was very stressful. She said felt she had “lost her childhood”.

Another victim, now a mum, said she didn’t know any different until she became older, and recalled she would cling to her mum and didn’t trust anyone.

She added the abuse made her untrusting with men, while another woman said she had been left with “major trust issues” with men.

Richard Archer, defending, said Jessop was currently in HMP Manchester where he was struggling due to his age, and was being bullied by younger inmates and often pushed out of the telephone queue.

He pointed out he could potentially die while incarcerated - or would be in his early to late 80s before he is eligible for release.

Judge Knowles said: “It is necessary for the purpose of protecting members of public from sexual harm from you - and it is proportionate and not oppressive - to make an order prohibiting you from living in the same house a any female under 18 unless with express approval of social services and secondly from having any unsupervised contact with any female under the age of eight, other than inadvertent and not avoidable.”

He must sign the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.