April 2013 Man jailed for sex offences involving young girls A Cowes man who committed a string of sex offences involving three young girls has been jailed for nine and a half years Mark Agar, 47 of Ash Grove, admitted seven offences of indecent assault, two of sexual assault and one of causing a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity when he appeared at the IW crown court on March 2013. One child was aged just nine when the abuse started. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea mid way through his trial Sentencing Agar, judge Sarah Munro QC said: “you denied all the offences and two of the witnesses had to give evidence to a jury. You caused them to publicly relive  those offences” “You caused one of the victims untold psychological damage, which was apparent when she gave evidence” “The offences demonstrate the depravity you have and you took away the childhood of these three girls. The damage you have caused is immense. At least the girls can go out into the public streets with their heads held high, knowing that they told the truth” Representing Agar, Elizabeth Bussey-Jones said historic matters that affected Agar when he was young had impacted on his sense of his reality She said: “His feeling of revulsion and shame for what he did is very clear and is entirely remorseful” Agar was placed on the sex offenders register indefinately