A MAN has been jailed for four years after he was convicted of a series of historic sex offences.

Johnathan Riley had denied 11 counts of indecent assault and ten offences of indecency with a child, but was found guilty after a trial.

Judge Tony Briggs, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, said the 38-year-old had maintained his denials throughout the process.

He said: “This [offending] continued for a lengthy period of time and custody is obviously inevitable.”

Riley, of St John’s Park, Stillington, near Stockton, committed the offences against three children in the late 1980s/early 1990s, prosecutor Shaun Dodds told the court. One had since died.

Mr Dodds said of Riley: “He told them not to say anything and said they would not be believed.”

Charlotte Surley, for Riley, said the most compelling mitigation was his own age at the time of the offences.

Several character references were handed into Judge Briggs by the barrister in support of Riley, while his supporters also packed the public gallery.

She added: “Since reaching adulthood this defendant has led an exemplary life.”

Judge Briggs told Riley: “It is plain that you took advantage of [that] situation to abuse children who were clearly vulnerable and you did so over a long period.”

As well as the jail sentence, Riley was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will have to register his address with police.