A 68-YEAR-OLD Lydney man who repeatedly sexually abused two sisters from the ages of eight over a seven-year period has been jailed.
Cornelius Ingmire of Goode Court, had pleaded guilty to 14 counts of sexual activity of both girls between October 2007 and May, 2014 in Newent.
He was sent to prison for 12 years by His Honour Judge Michael Cullum at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday.
The court heard how Ingmire 'groomed both children into accepting the behaviour as normal'.
Prosecuting barrister Ian Fenney said earlier: "The first victim told an older sister on Christmas Eve what had been going on, but swore her to secrecy. They kept the secret for some three years.”
It was only when the second victim started to talk about Childline did the police become involved and Ingmire was arrested in May of 2015.
The court was told that Ingmire would regularly abuse the girls when he babysat but the children were too scared to tell anyone about the abnormal activities.
Mr Fenney said: "This was a prolonged course of inappropriate sexual behaviour with young children and the degree of psychological has been significant.
"The impact on these young victims has been profound."