AN 80-year-old Elton man has been jailed after he was found guilty of a string of sexual assault offences on young girls.
Married Samuel Tidd, of Anvil Close, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years, after he was convicted by trial of six counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual activity, and three counts of causing or inciting sexual activity with a child. All of the charges relate to children under the age of 13.
Tidd was convicted after a four day trial at Chester Crown Court. He was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault by a jury of eight women and four men.
All of the offences took place over a five year period, from June 30, 2006, until June 2011.
Evidence was heard from one of the children, who told how the defendant would touch her inappropriately.
In a recorded police interview shown to the court, the victim told how the man would touch her breasts underneath her top, but stopped when he heard someone coming in to the room.
Before sentencing, Simon Parry, defending, said Tidd had not found himself before the court in his life and was a man of “impeccable character”.
“He is a man who ever since leaving school has led an industrious hard-working and productive life providing for his family,” he said. “Mr Tidd faces his first experience of custody, and while he may come across as stoic, despite this he is aware that he is at the age of 80 is going in to the unknown world of prison.
“It is of no surprise that his first concern is for his family and for the impact of this situation on his wife of 57 years.”
Jailing Tidd for two years, the Recorder of Chester Judge Elgan Edwards said: “This is an extremely sad case.
“I know you can’t accept your guilt but you have been convicted by a jury.”
Judge Edwards said he had shown mercy in the length of sentence handed to Tidd because of his age and his previous good character.