Sex abuser who 'robbed' woman's childhood jailed

A sex abuser who police said 'robbed' a woman's childhood has finally been jailed - with detectives praising her bravery for 'seeing the case through to its rightful outcome'.

Anthony Baron, 68, has now been jailed for seven years.

He denied the charges he faced and forced his victim to relive the abuse she endured during a trial, but was convicted by a jury of sexual assault.

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Police said Baron, from the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, first abused his victim when she was just seven years old. Lancashire Police said the abuse continued until she was around 14 - 'effectively robbing her of her childhood'.

Baron, of Main Street, Gisburn, was convicted after trial of eight counts of sexual assault against a child between 2006-2013. He was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on Monday.

Det Con Ryan Benson, who led the case to bring Baron to justice, said: "First of all my thoughts are with Anthony Baron's victim. Through his perverted actions he has effectively robbed her of her childhood and yet she has had the courage not only to come forward and report what he did to her, but also the bravery to see the case through to its rightful outcome.

"I trust she feels some sense that justice has been done and I hope this outcome gives others who may have been through similar ordeals the confidence to come forward and speak about what has happened in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally and without fear or favour."