October 2016 Paedophile jailed for abusing girl aged nine A PAEDOPHILE who repeatedly sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl has been jailed for three and a half years. Bolton Crown Court heard how Terence Easdon touched and stroked the girl over her clothing and pleaded with her to kiss him. And he even claimed inappropriate Facebook messages he sent to her were to test how she would react if similar messages were sent by others. Easdon, aged 46, and formerly from Deane, Bolton, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexually assaulting a child over a two year period. Charlotte Crangle, prosecuting, told the court that the abuse ended in November 2014 when the girl, then aged 11, kicked out at him as she tried to resist his attentions and was heard by another child. Easdon, who moved to Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, while on bail for the offences has since sought help from a psychotherapist, said Kimberley Morton, defending. “He is extremely remorseful,” she said. “He does not try to minimise his offending and he doesn’t intend to ever return to Bolton. He can’t fully understand his behaviour, but he recognises the serious impact it has had.” Sentencing Easdon to three and a half years in prison, Judge Elliot Knopf commented that the girl had been so confused and disturbed by what was happening that she had not told her mother or friends. He added the abuse was only prevented from becoming more serious because he was caught. The judge told Easdon: “You took every opportunity, it would appear, to try and develop the situation to your advantage and satisfy you desires.” As well as the jail term, Easdon was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life,and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.