Guilty of eight non-recent child sex offences.

A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for eight non-recent child sex offenses.

Keith Heselton of Mulberry Mead in Whitchurch was found guilty by a jury at Newport Crown Court on April 3, 2023, following a trial. The offenses took place in Shanklin between June 2005 and March 2006, involving a girl under the age of 10.

Heselton was sentenced on June 12, 2023, at Portsmouth Crown Court to 24 years in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years. He was also given an additional five-year license order and a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Police Staff Investigator Louisa Parkin said, "The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful abuse for decades. I'm pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I'd like to commend her bravery for coming forward and sticking with the investigation."

Parkin continued, "We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offenses and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offenses, we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases."

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse, you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.