A MILLOM man has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a child.

Brendan Thompson, of Grammerscroft, had denied two counts of assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by penetration and one count of assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by touching.

However, he was found guilty of the offences at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court after a trial.

The court heard the 56-year-old invited the child into his home before sexually assaulting her.

Upon his arrest, he was interviewed and provided a pre-prepared statement before refusing to answer any further questions.

Thompson was convicted of the offences and sentenced to nine years in prison. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

Detective Constable Matt Mullen said: “Thompson’s actions were predatory and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the young survivor of his offending.

“Thompson has refused to take responsibility for his actions throughout the investigation and court case.

“As a Constabulary, we continue to urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence – or who knows someone who has - to contact police so that our officers can investigate.

“No matter how long ago an incident occurred, we will investigate, support you alongside trusted partner agencies and do all we can to identify offenders and hold them to account.”

If you wish to report a crime, please visit www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it or call 101. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

If you have been affected by sexual assault, you can contact The Bridgeway's 24/7 support helpline on 0808 118 6432.