Gosport '˜sexual predator' jailed for 12 years

Edwin Gallienne sexually assaulted, raped, encouraged them to perform indecent acts on him and separately bribed the pair with sweets and money, abusing one of the girls from the age of four.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the victims had terrible memories of being abused by Gallienne, of Bury Hall Lane, Gosport.

Speaking to The News one of the girls, now a teenager, said: ‘I’m so mixed up and angry because of him.’

Reading the girl’s statement Daniel Sawyer, prosecuting, said: ‘Since it was reported I’ve had to recall events in my life I’d long blocked in my mind, things that I thought were deep and could not hurt me have come sliding back.’

During the sentencing hearing, Hugh French, defending, said Gallienne apologised.

But speaking after, one of the girls’ grandmothers said: ‘It’s totally worthless.’

Mr Sawyer told the court how the OAP would wave cash at the girls to groom them.

‘He would try and lure one girl] away,’ he said.

Mr Sawyer added: ‘He would regularly offer her money and sweets if she would go with him and allow him to do these things.’

The court heard sick 
Gallienne shifted blame on to one victim, telling police she had invited him to her abuse her.

‘That he said was happening when she was three or four,’ Mr Sawyer added.

Sentencing Gallienne to 12 years in jail, judge Roger Hetherington said: ‘The extent of your offending is truly appalling. Over that approximately 10-year period you touched them sexually on very many occasions.’

He added: ‘Not surprisingly it has had a traumatic effect on both of them.’

The judge said Gallienne admitted to some crimes after one girl reported the abuse, leading to more charges.

Judge Hetherington added: ‘Nevertheless I’m told that there’s an element of blame shifting in your explanation for what happened.’

Detective Constable Marie Duffy said: ‘I would like to thank the victims for having the courage to come forward about these horrendous crimes and hope that the sentence will help give them some closure, so that they can move on with her lives.

‘It is because of the victims’ courage that the offender now faces a long prison sentence.

‘Because of his age, he could possibly spend the rest of his life behind bars.’

Gallienne pleaded guilty to eight counts of sex assault on a child under 13, four rapes against a child under 13, a rape, three counts of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity and three sex assaults.

He must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.