15 years’ prison for paedophile

A 66-year-old man has been jailed after admitting to committing sexual offences against two children.

Everet Winston Higgins, of Gloucester Road in Bath, has been jailed for 15 years.

Higgins, inset, pleaded guilty to five counts, including indecent assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and encouraging the taking of indecent photographs of a child.

Higgins groomed and sexually abused the first victim after meeting her in the late 1990s when she was in her mid-teens.

A police investigation also found he had communicated with a second victim on social media, requesting indecent images.

When he was arrested, officers found handwritten notes between Higgins and the victim, where he had made further requests for sexual acts. The victim told officers the defendant had sexually assaulted her when she was between eight and 12 years old.

In a victim impact statement, the first victim said: “As a young person, I was in a vulnerable position and Higgins exploited that. I mourn my teenage years as they were taken from me. Despite everything he has done to me and the subsequent police and CPS involvement as a result I do not wish bad on him, but I believe that, whether he understands what he is doing is wrong or not, he will never stop.

“For the protection of other young people, I hope he receives a custodial sentence long enough to mean it is not possible for him to do this to anyone else ever again.”

The second victim said in a statement: “It has been three years since the police intervened and Higgins’ actions are still impacting my life.

“I anticipate they will continue to impact me throughout my life.”

Higgins was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court and as well as the custodial sentence he was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Judge Ambrose described Higgins’ offences as “having a profound effect on the lives of his victims”.