"He is a predator who exploited young children purely to satisfy his own twisted desires"

Police made a harrowing discovery when they investigated a suspected paedophile. On Clinton Royle's computer they found footage of him abusing children.

The victims, say police, were subjected to an "horrific" ordeal. Yet despite that evidence Clinton denied a string of allegations.

But after an 11-day trial in July after which he was convicted of 43 offences and has now been jailed for 25 years.

He was found guilty of 28 counts of assaulting a girl under 13, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and seven counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

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Royle, 62, was arrested following a report to police in 2019 about child sexual abuse offences which occurred between August 2012 and April 2016 when the child victim was between the ages of eight and 12.

Following Royle's arrest, an investigation was launched by officers in Cheshire Police's Protecting Vulnerable People investigations department and various items were seized from his home, including children’s clothing, hard drives, and digital storage devices.

Royle, of Elm Drive, Crewe, denied all allegations during interview and was released on bail while the investigation was ongoing.

In a statement Cheshire Constabulary said: "Cheshire Police’s digital forensic unit conducted analysis of Royle’s devices, discovering encrypted and password protected files containing thousands of indecent images of children. The files also contained recordings of Royle’s offending.

"Further investigations were conducted, and officers were able to identify other child victims aged between three and 12 at the time of the offending.

"Whilst Royle confirmed he was present in the videos and images with the children, he denied the offences, claiming that his actions and the images were not of a sexual nature. Despite his denials, he was ultimately charged with the offences."

Royle will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, restraining orders against the victims, and will also need to sign the sex offender register.

Following sentencing Detective Constable Amy Pegnam, said: “Royle is a predator who exploited young children purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires. These innocent children were subjected to horrific abuse, and not only that, but Royle tried to deny any wrongdoing.

“But thankfully the jury saw through his lies, and he is now facing a lengthy sentence behind bars where he cannot subject anyone else to his abhorrent behaviour. This has been a complex and lengthy investigation, and I would again like to commend the courage of the victims, the officers, and all those involved who have helped bring this man to justice.

“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or through our website.”