A MAN who sexually abused two children 25 years ago was finally brought to justice after he was confronted on social media.

Jonathan McIntyre targeted the victims when he was working as a babysitter when he was 14-15 years old and living on the RAF Leeming site in the mid-90s.

The 40-year-old heard how he made one of the victim’s lives ‘a living hell’ after his life spiralled into depression as an adult.

In a powerful victim impact statement, the man said: “I am finding it extremely difficult to write down what is going through, and has been going through my head, into words.

“I have had to deal with the backlash of these disgusting crimes for 25 years.

“I have suffered a lot due to the events that happened, not once but twice. I have shut people out of my life and not let people in.

“I have suffered with depression and I have been on anti-depressants for it. It has been a living hell.”

David Lamb, prosecuting, said the sexual assaults happened in the mid-90s when the two victims were both under the age of ten.

He said McIntyre forced the boy to perform oral sex on him on two occasions, the second time after he had put toothpaste on his genitals.

Mr Lamb said he told the boy’s older sister that he would ‘show her what real sex was like’ before placing her on his lap and simulating sex over the child’s clothing.

His second victim did not want her victim impact statement read out in open court.

McIntyre, of Coundon, pleaded guilty to three counts of indecency with a child.

Teesside Crown Court heard how McIntyre could only face the sentence that was available at the time he carried out the sexual assaults, ruling out immediate custody.

Nigel Soppitt, in mitigation, said his client had gone to the police station after he was confronted about his past by the victim on Facebook.

“25 years has elapsed since these offences,” he said. “It seems there has not been any repetition or reports of other offences in that time.”

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced McIntyre to a two-year community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his offending.

He said: “I am sentencing for the wrongs of a 14-year-old boy but not passing a sentence for a 14-year-old because you are a 40-year-old man. My sentences have to acknowledge that you were offending when you were 14 or 15 and I cannot exceed the maximum sentence applicable at the time of the offending.”

McIntyre was also made subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and to sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

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