A Ryde Paedophile David Gower has received a fifteen-year prison sentence for historical child sexual offences on the Isle of Wight. David Gower, currently 70 years old, often visited the victims at their residence in Ryde from January 2000 to December 2001, during which he perpetrated indecent assaults.
The girls, ages 8 and 12 at the time of the assaults, reported the instances to the authorities in September of the previous year.
David Gower, residing on Warwick Street in Ryde, was apprehended and charged with five counts of indecent assault.
During Gower’s arrest, officers located a number of indecent hand drawn images of children within a pile of magazines at his home, and he was subsequently charged with the further offence of possession of a prohibited image of a child.
Appearing at Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on 27 September this year, David Gower admitted all the offences and was ordered to sign on to the Sex Offender’s Register within 72 hours.
David Gower failed to do so and was subsequently charged with failing to comply with Sex Offender Register notification requirements, and a further offence of possession of a knife in a public place after police found a knife in Gower’s car on 1 October.
David Gower appeared at the Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 30 November) where he was jailed for 15 years, with a two year extended licence period.
Investigating officer PC Mark Thomas said: “David Gower completely shattered the trust of these two girls, manipulating them into situations where he could abuse them.
“His actions were utterly appalling and he is now rightfully where he belongs – in prison.
“I want to commend the bravery of these two women, who were just children at the time of these awful offences. Because of their courage, a dangerous man is now off the streets.”
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