March 9, 2023 11.40 am This story is over 19 months old

Man convicted for sexual offences against a child

Police thanked the victim for their courage

Desmond Baxter, aged 78, of Roman Way, Horncastle, has been convicted of 4 offences of indecent assault against a child ranging from 11 years old through to 18, as well as 4 offences of indecent assault against an adult.

The offences happened between 1976 and 2002.

He pleaded not guilty to all of the offences and following a trial, the jury found him guilty of all 8 offences.

He was sentenced on 6 March to 16 years in prison, given a restraining order and will have to sign on the sex offenders register.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Skipworth, Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: “I pass my thanks on to the victim involved in this case. They have shown great courage in speaking to us and throughout the investigation too.

“I encourage anyone to get in touch if they would like to speak to us about any concerns they have. We will fully investigate any allegations, no matter when they happened.

“This case shows that people will be convicted and sentenced for their actions, even when it happened a long time ago.”

We have information available on our website on how to contact the police or if you want to find out more about your options.