August 2023 Sexual predator jailed for 16 years for repeated incidents of child sex abuse A man who sexually assaulted a very young child over a four-year period has been jailed. Gary Lewis was found guilty of seven counts of child sexual abuse following an 5-day re-trial at Chester Crown Court. The 57-year-old from Runcorn returned to Chester Crown Court on Friday 16 June 2023 where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. In addition to his prison sentence, he has also been added to the Sex Offender Register for life. During the trial the court heard how Lewis began abusing his victim when she was just three years old. He held a position of trust and was supposed to be caring for her, instead he used his position to fulfil his own sexual gratification. Over the next four years he subjected her to repeated sexual offences, including indecent exposure and rape. He would force her to watch pornography and encouraged other people to sexually abuse her. The girl attempted to seek help at the time of the abuse, but Lewis denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the victim was lying. The abuse finally came to an end in 2003 when all contact between the pair was stopped. In April 2019 the victim contacted Cheshire Police to report the offences and Lewis was subsequently charged with multiple offences.