Paedophile is locked up for nine years for historic sex crimes after sentencing at Hampshire court

Peter John Wabel, 64, of Studfield Hill in Sheffield, has been jailed for a total of nine years and four months after being found guilty of a number of non-recent child sex offences.

Wabel was also required to sign the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period of time.

He was previously found guilty at Winchester Crown Court on February 11 of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14 and one count of buggery.

The offences took place between 1991 and 1992, and all occurred at an address in Marchwood.

Detective Constable Marie Leather from Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone Unit, said: ‘This has been a horrendous series of events which has hung over the victim for many, many years; so today’s sentencing is a milestone.

‘While what occurred during the years of abuse is unlikely to ever heal, we hope that the fact Peter Wabel has now been imprisoned for a significant amount of time will provide some comfort and closure to her.

‘The hope is that she can now begin to put this ordeal behind her and move forward with re-building her life, knowing that justice has been served.

‘We are committed to getting justice for victims of sexual abuse and we would always encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to report it directly to police on 101, where you can speak with our specialist officers in confidence.

‘We know the impact of these crimes can last a lifetime and the pain does not lessen over time. You can talk to us. It’s never too late to make a report.’

As a survivor of sexual abuse, you’re entitled to support whether you report the crime or not.

You can access different types of support depending on how you’re feeling and what you decide to do next.

Visit hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault to see the support on offer.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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