Wigan man jailed for nine years for historical sex offences against schoolboy

Ian Wilkinson, 64, of Ormskirk Road, Up Holland, was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault on a child under 14 over a five-year period.

He has now been jailed for nine years by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court.

The sentencing has been welcomed by police, who urged other victims of historical sexual offences to come forward.

Det Insp Alyson Keenan, from Merseyside Police, said: “We’re pleased to see Wilkinson dealt with at court. Wilkinson prolonged his victim’s suffering by denying the offences, resulting in a trial, and I am pleased that he is now behind bars.

“While no sentence will repair the damage that his abuse has caused, I hope that by seeing him sent to prison it will give his victim some sort of closure.

“I hope this sentencing also shows that time is no barrier to reporting offences and we take every report extremely seriously, no matter when it occurred. I would urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them.

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation."Anyone wanting to report a sexual offence can call police on 101 to speak to specially trained officers or pass information to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.