A man was today sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault against children.

Victor Huckfield, 42, of High Furlong, Banbury, was found guilty of committing the following offences between June 1994 and June 2001:

Rape of a child under the age of 13

One act of gross indecency towards a child under the age of 16

Four charges of indecent assault against a child under the age of 14

Three charges of rape of a child under the age of 16 One charge of gross indecency of a child under the age of 16

One charge of indecent assault on a child under the age of 14.

Det Sgt Angela Murray, who led the investigation, said: “I believe the seriousness of the crimes Huckfield committed is relfected in the length of the sentence he has been given.

“I would like to pay tribute to the two victims, who have shown bravery and courage throughout the investigation and court case.

“I hope they get some comfort that this dangerous and manipulative individual has been been found guilty and will now spend many years in prison for the horrendous crimes against these two innocent people.

“His conviction is the result of some tenacious investigations by Oxfordshire’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, combined with the perseverance and bravery of his victims and their families. I would like to thank everyone involved who helped put this man before the court.”