A man has been sentenced to four years in prison for child sex offences.

Mark Balcombe, aged 43 and of Ilfracombe, (formerly of Soudley in the Forest of Dean) was convicted in December of four counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 committed before 2004, four counts of gross indecency with a boy under 16 committed before 2004, one count of possession of indecent photographs of children and three counts of making indecent images of children.

He had previously pleaded guilty to the possession of 86 indecent images of children.

Balcombe, formerly of the Forest of Dean, was sentenced to the jail term in Swindon Crown Court today and will also be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order and have to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The offences happened in Staunton in the Forest of Dean.

Officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Jon Youdan, said: “I would like to thank the victim for his courage and commitment on seeing this case to its conclusion.

“It is entirely down to him that we are now aware of, and able to control Balcombe who in my view is a devious and sinister paedophile.

“I hope that the victim, through the justice he has obtained, can now get closure and move on with his life.”