Former builder jailed for sexually abusing two little girls

Frank Bone, of Queensway, Old Dalby, was sentenced for his crimes, which also included two indecent assaults and making indecent photographs of a child, at a hearing at Loughborough Magistrates Court.

One of his victims, who is now aged 33, read a moving victim impact statement in court in which she said: “The outcome of this trial can never take away what the defendant did to me as a defenceless child and the life-long impact his abhorrent actions continue to have on me every single day.”

We are not naming the woman, who was aged five when the abuse began in the Melton area, to protect her anonymity.

She also said in court that she has nightmares in her sleep virtually every night because of what happened and that she often wakes up ‘choking and screaming’.

Bone denied the charges at an earlier trial at Leicester Crown Court but was found guilty on all of them.

He arrived at the sentencing this week in a wheelchair – the hearing was switched to the Loughborough court because of the easier access.

Bone was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a child aged under 13, between May 1, 2004, and August 29, 2012.

The court also sentenced him on two charges of indecent assault, committed between February 12, 1994, and February 11, 1998, and between February 12, 1994 and April 30, 2004.

He was also convicted of making indecent photographs of a child between January 1, 2013, and July 9, 2018.

The bench sentenced Bone to a total of six years and three months in prison and ordered that he be kept on the sexual offenders register indefinitely.

After the sentence was given, the victim who spoke in court told the Melton Times: “Justice has been done.

"I’m relieved that he has been given a custodial sentence.

"For any survivor of child sexual abuse there is no prison sentence that can ever take away, or minimise in any way, the lifelong impact that has.

"But it does provide some closure.

"The most important things were about making sure that he was unable to ever hurt another innocent, defenceless child again.

"It will have certain restrictions around his contact with young girls which is really important.

"But it is also about an important message to other survivors that the process is long, it’s arduous, it’s not easy but it sends a strong message out to other survivors that it is worth it in the end.

"After four long years the right outcome did prevail.

"It’s also a strong message to other perpetrators that ‘your time is coming’.”

The woman, who gave birth to her first child late last year, was also keen to thank Leicestershire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for the support they gave her during the investigation and subsequent trial.

"Both authorities have been incredible to me and there has been times through the last four years where it has been really hard to keep going,” she said.

"Their support has been unwaivering and without it, it would have been difficult so I am extremely grateful to them for helping secure the justice that I’ve needed and I deserve.”