A FORMER school caretaker who sexually abused three young girls in the 1980s and 1990s has been jailed for eight years.

Henry Bottomley, 87, from Filey, was sentenced at York Crown Court on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of gross indecency with the girls who were aged under 14, between 1986 and 1995, when he was working as a school caretaker.

One of the victims came forward to complain about Bottomley in December 2018.

Shortly after he was charged with gross indecency offences in August 2019, two further victims made complaints that they had been subjected to multiple acts of gross indecency between.

The long-running investigation was carried out by North Yorkshire Police’s Abuse Investigation Team.

Detective Sergeant Graeme Bevington said: “This disgusting behaviour has traumatised the victims for decades. I hope the victims in this case can take some comfort from the outcome at court, knowing that justice has been served and Bottomley has been jailed for a significant length of time." He added it was never too late to report such crimes.