May 2015 Paedophile jailed for five years after sexually abusing youngster in Swadlincote THE family of a 14-year-old who was sexually abused by a pensioner has spoken of the ‘horrendous’ impact his actions have had on the family after he was jailed for five years. Alan Latham was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with an underage girl after he sexually abused the girl, who was aged between 10 and 12 at the time, on three separate occasions. The mother of the youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “She told one of our neighbours what had happened to her. I was absolutely devastated. We trusted someone like that. “She is so quiet now. “She is not the lively, bubbly girl she once was. She shuts herself in her bedroom and finds it difficult to make or maintain friends. “It has totally changed her. She is going through counselling but it has been a tough three years. “I don’t think any sentence will be enough for a parent for putting a child through that but I am happy. “It has been horrendous for us over the past few years. “I haven’t wanted to get out of bed and my daughter is going through all different emotions. “We have been trying to move on but it is never going to go away but we hope to get closure now.” The court heard Latham still denied the offences took place despite being found guilty by a jury during his trial which saw his now 14-year-old victim give evidence against him. He was told he had ‘should have been there to protect the child’ who was a family friend. But instead he ‘abused his position for sexual gratification’ a judge said. Recorder Gareth Evans, jailing Latham, said: “You were convicted by a jury on what I considered was overwhelming evidence. “They saw through your defence. This was a gross breach of trust. “The girl and her family trusted you as a family friend and you saw that as an opportunity to abuse that trust. “On three occasions you sexually abused her and you have changed what was an outgoing child into someone that cannot trust any other human being, not even her own family. You should have been there to protect her but you did not.You used your position to sexually abuse her.” Each time the offence took place at his home in Swadlincote, the trial was told. Andrew Vout, prosecuting, said: “She was scared and shocked.” The sentencing hearing this week was told how Latham, now of Grange Road, Ibstock, Leicestershire, had a previous conviction, dating back to 1996, of taking an indecent photograph of a child. Ben Williams, for the 65-year-old, said his client suffers from muscular dystrophy. Mr Williams said: “He continues to deny the matters and what I do challenge about it is how this was a planned and predatory offence. “The culpability is high because of the abuse of trust and he is terrified at the prospect of prison because his disability will leave him more vulnerable due to the nature of the offences he has been convicted of.”