Jailed for 20 years: Shropshire paedophile gave young girls he abused money and said no one would believe them

Peter Milner, from Shawbury, subjected a vulnerable young girl to years of sickening abuse to satisfy his own “sexual urges”, a court has heard.

The 49-year-old repeatedly sexually assaulted the child, and forced her to perform sex acts on him – telling her nobody would believe her if she ever reported the attacks.

But years later she did summon the strength to report the abuse.

Swansea Crown Court heard Milner began abusing his first victim when she was aged just five, with the attacks continuing until the girl reached puberty.

John Hipkin, prosecuting, said after each assault Milner would give the girl some money, or make threats about nobody believing her if she told anyone.

Milner also, on one occasion, sexually assaulted another girl in what was described in court as an “opportunistic” offence. Again he gave the youngster money afterwards.

After the abuse the defendant moved away from Swansea, and was living with his wife in Shropshire.

As victims of sexual offences, both females have life-long anonymity.

In an impact statement read to the court by Mr Hipkin, on behalf of the girl, the defendant repeatedly abused she said he “took every little piece of my innocence away from me, and made me feel unworthy of love”.

Corrupted

She said she had spent years blaming herself for what happened, and feeling like “I deserve the torture he inflicted upon me”.

The woman said it wasn’t until she had children of her own that she found a reason to live.

In a statement the second victim said Milner had left her feeling “damaged and broken”, and self-harming.

Milner, now of Church Close, Shawbury, had previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child, and serious sexual assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard that though he has previous convictions, there was nothing of a sexual nature on his record.

Stephen Rees, for Milner, said his client had grown up largely in a children’s home, and his mind had been “corrupted” by what he had experienced.

He said though it was not an excuse for what the defendant would go on to do, it was a “classic case of the abused becoming the abuser”.

Judge Paul Thomas QC told the defendant he had abused the young girls “to satisfy your sexual urges”.

He said Milner had used the girls to get “sexual thrills at their expense”, and that it was clear from the victim statements what a terrible and long-lasting impact the abuse had had.

Milner will serve half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.