A MAN who systematically abused four young girls, including raping one who babysat for his own children, has been jailed for 24 years.

Terence Mitchell, 68, was sentenced on Friday at Teesside Crown Court. He must also remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Mitchell, a retired factory worker, was found guilty in July of 22 counts of historical sexual abuse, two rapes and attempted rape, but only after making his victims go through a trial.

His offences occurred between 1972 and 1985. He was arrested in the 1980s after two of the girls told police what had happened, but he was not charged then, the court had heard during the trial.

York Press:

Teesside Crown Court

Detective Constable Pete Cooper, of the York Serious Crime Team, said last night: “Terence Mitchell is a predatory paedophile who, between 1972 and 1985, systematically abused four young girls aged four to 15.

“He groomed his victims and sought out opportunities to be alone with them to commit unspeakable acts. This has led his victims to suffer severe physical and mental scars throughout their lives.

“Mitchell had the opportunity to admit his offending in the 1980s but failed to do so, revelling in the power and knowledge his offending had given to him. That power is now broken and I hope he has plenty of time to reflect on his despicable behaviour which has finally caught up with him.

“I wish to thank the courage and dignity the victims have displayed throughout this harrowing process. I hope they can move forward in their lives knowing that finally, after all this time, justice has been served.”

Mitchell, most recently of West Park in Selby, carried out his offences in locations around Selby. Three of the victims were girls who he was babysitting, and the fourth was a girl who had babysat his own children.

York Press:

One girl was abused over a two-year period when she was aged four or five, the second over a three-year period when she was aged six to eight. He tried to rape her. He abused the third from the age of nine to 13 or 14, and the fourth over a two-year period when she was 13 or 14, including raping her.

All four victims, now women, All four, now adults, testified in his trial, telling what he had done and how it had affected them psychologically.

Some said that once they were adults, Mitchell would smirk when he met them in the street or at their workplaces.

After a two-week trial, he was convicted of two rapes, two attempted rapes and 18 indecent assaults. He was cleared on one further indecent assault.

At his trial, Teesside Crown Court heard he deliberately targeted girls who would be unlikely to tell other adults about him and groomed them for his sexual pleasure.

He locked one of the girls in his garage for a short time and when she did not tell her parents what he had done, he started sexually abusing her.