Locations
Warwick Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33
Description
A man has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for non-recent child sex offences on the Isle of Wight.
David Gower, now aged 70, would visit the victims at their home in Ryde on a regular basis between January 2000 and December 2001 where he would indecently assault them.
The girls, aged 8 and 12 respectively at the time of the offences, reported the incidents to police in September last year.
Gower, of Warwick Street in Ryde, was arrested 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, Gower admitted all the offences and was ordered to sign on to the Sex Offender’s Register within 72 hours.
He 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.
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: “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.”