July 2016: Rear has now been released July 2012 Paedophile preyed on girls A paedophile who seriously sexually assaulted two nine-year old girls in the 1980s has been jailed for five years. John Douglas Rear, of The Portwey, Northfields, Leicester, preyed on the youngsters. The 53-year-old was brought to justice after the husband of one of the women went to the police two years ago. Rear had denied eight charges of indecent assault, but was convicted of all counts on April 30, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court. Yesterday, he appeared at Northampton Crown Court for sentencing. Judge Lynn Tayton told him: “These offences are so serious there is no alternative to a custodial sentence. The victims have suffered great damage by what happened to them. “They have suffered from depression and found it very difficult to form relationships. “They still suffer from the impact of what happened.” The judge said four offences against one girl happened when she was aged nine and 10. Three of the offences against the other victim occurred when she was aged between nine and 11. A fourth offence took place when she was 18. Judge Tayton said the length of the prison sentence she could impose was restricted because the offences took place before the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, which increased the penalties available. The judge jailed Rear for each of the eight offences, sentencing him to a total of five years. He was also placed on the sex offender register indefinitely and banned from working with children or vulnerable adults. Sarah Porter, representing Rear in court, said he was of previous good character. She said: “The offences occurred when he was between 21 and 30 and nothing has happened in the past 23 years. “He suffers from glaucoma and is blind in his right eye and only has 30 per cent sight in his left eye.” Speaking after the trial, the victim’s husband, who reported the offences to police, said: “At last, justice has been done for my wife. “She was deeply traumatised by what happened and no one believed her. “Now they will know the truth. But it has had a devastating effect on her life and she still suffers from depression. “She had to have time off work during the trial because he denied the offences and she has had to relive what she went through. “We are shocked he cannot be given a longer sentence as the offences were charged under old laws.” The husband said he approached police two years ago because of the continuing impact the sexual assaults were having on his wife. “I want to thank the police for their diligence,” he said. Detective Constable Chris Coates, who led the investigation, praised the victims for their bravery. He said: “Both women have been incredibly strong and have shown tremendous courage in coming forward and reporting to police what happened to them, “I am pleased that the victims’ patience and understanding, in what has been a long and complex investigation, has helped us achieve this conviction against Rear. “It is never too late for someone to come forward if they have been a victim of child abuse. “Today shows we do take these incidents seriously and we can still bring someone before the courts and justice can be done for anyone else who has been a victim of similar abuse.”