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A paedophile who sexually assaulted three people has been jailed for 14 years, more than 20 years after the offences were committed.
Steven Smith, 48, of Grantham, was found guilty of sexual assault offences on two women and a boy in the 1990s in both Arlesey, Bedfordshire and another part of the country. Smith received a 14-year custodial sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday, December 13 and will be on the sex offender’s register for life.
Bedfordshire Police are encouraging victims of sexual assault to come forward, no matter when the incidents took place.
Detective Constable Hayley Carroll from Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Investigation Team said: "We are all incredibly pleased with this outcome. It serves as an empowering reminder to all members of our community – victims and non-victims – that it is never too late to report a crime.
"Our hope is that this result serves as encouragement to everyone, emphasising how powerful the process of reporting can be - for both recent and non-recent offences.
"Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime, and child victims are very often affected into their future, and it can impact their development and growth both mentally and physically.
"All three of the victims are extremely pleased and relieved that they can now move forward with some closure regarding this chapter of their lives."