A 85-year-old predator who sexually abused young children after blindfolding them in a twisted game has been jailed for 16 years.
James Staples preyed on two young girls and one boy at separate addresses in Nottingham.
One of the girls was abused for over a decade from 2007 and the other girl was abused after Staples turned 80 in 2016.
The boy was abused in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the predator was in his 40s.
The offences came to light in 2019 when one of the girls found the courage to tell her mother what had happened.
Subsequently a second girl made a complaint that Staples had sexually abused her.
Two months later, the boy – who is now in his 40s – also came forward with disturbing allegations against Staples.
The pensioner was arrested and he admitted abusing the three victims.
Nottingham Crown Court heard he blindfolded two of his victims, including the boy, as part of a sick game that saw him commit the horrific offences.
Staples, of Devon Drive, Carrington, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a boy and four counts of sexual assault on a girl.
He will serve half of the 16-year sentence behind bars and the rest on licence. He has also been made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
In a statement provided to the court, the first victim said he was still having flashbacks 40 years on from the abuse.
He said: “I feel (Staples) has messed my life up. He’s had a big impact on my life and took away my innocence as a child.
“When I was told he was going to plead guilty I just burst into tears. All I ever wanted was for him to accept responsibility for what he had done. I don’t believe I will ever get over it but at least I can put some closure on it.”
Following the sentencing on Friday (20 August), Detective Constable Alicia Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police’s public protection team, commended the bravery and courage of the victims in coming forward.
She said: “I would like to thank the victims for being so courageous and supporting the investigation. I acknowledge how difficult that was for each of them. I hope they can now move on to the next chapter of their lives safe in the knowledge that their abuser has been brought to justice and will spend a considerable time in prison.
“I’m really pleased that justice has been done for them. This outcome shows Nottinghamshire Police will always thoroughly investigate reports of sexual offences, regardless of when they happened.”
Detective Constable Lisa Torrance, who helped run the investigation, added: “We know how hard it is to come forward and report these offences, whether they have taken place recently or in the past.
“We are committed to getting justice for victims and have specially trained officers to support them through the process.
“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak with our specialist detectives in confidence.”
