June 2012 Paedophile is finally jailed 40 years after child abuse THE victim of a paedophile has spoken of her relief at finally seeing justice done – 40 years after being subjected to the horrific abuse. Michael Banks was jailed for 20 years for abusing two girls between the 1960s and 1980s. As reported in The News the 71-year-old was described as an ‘overpowering bully’ during his trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. For years both his victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, remained too scared of him to go to the police. But last year one of them finally gained the strength to report him. Following his conviction she told The News: ‘I sat through the trial crying my eyes out. ‘Justice has been done because he’s in jail. I’m glad he is locked up and I wish I had gone to the police years ago but at the moment it’s still very raw. I have just relived the whole experience as if I was a child again. ‘All my life I have been scared of him and I’m not now. ‘That’s why I went to the police and went to court. I thought it was time he got brought to justice. ‘I’m glad he is off the streets but I’m very upset, very angry and every emotion you can think of.’ Banks of Hilsea Crescent, Hilsea, was convicted of 11 charges, including offences of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency with a child, after a week-long trial. He still denies abusing the girls and has shown no remorse for his actions. The court heard he had a previous conviction for child abuse dating back to the 1960s and his victim believes there could be other women out there who the retired engineer abused years ago. She said: ‘Having to listen to all his lies during the trial was hard but thankfully people saw through that. ‘I know in time I will hopefully move on but I don’t know, it’s never going to leave my head. ‘Now someone else might recognise his photo and think, “he did something to me years ago”. ‘He’s been shown for what he is now, there’s no need to be frightened any more.’