Graham Tansley, of Town Street, Hickling, was convicted of two counts of indecent assault, one count of assault by penetration, one count of assault by touching and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

His conviction followed a trial at Norwich Crown Court at the end of last year.

The offences took place over a period of almost 40 years, between 1977 and 2014 and involved three girls under the age of 14.

On Friday (January 13), Tansley was given an extended 15-year sentence, made up of nine years in custody and six years on licence.

Tansley was described by his victims as a “predator – selecting the vulnerable” whose crimes had a “devastating” impact on their lives.