A SOUTHAMPTON man has been jailed for "horrifying" historic sex offences against children.

Bruce Brewer, 54, was found guilty of four charges of indecent assault involving two victims who were aged between eight and 10 years old.

The offences, which happened in 1984, 2000 and 2002, were reported to Surrey Police last year and the force launched a detailed investigation.

He denied all the charges but was found guilty at the Old Bailey and jailed for seven and a half years.

Police Constable Lee Warden, who led the investigation, said: “Brewer is clearly a dangerous and predatory offender and I welcome the sentencing which will prevent him from harming others for a considerable period.

“Brewer took advantage of positions of trust over lengthy period of time to commit acts of horrifying abuse against two young victims and throughout the investigation and trial Brewer has failed to take responsibility for his appalling actions and went on the run to try and avoid justice.

“I hope this case demonstrates that there is no hiding place from the police and we will do everything possible to track down offenders and put them before the courts.

“I would like to thank the victims for the tremendous courage they showed by giving evidence during the trial and I hope that the court outcome will help them move on with their lives and put these terrible experiences behind them.

“We would encourage anyone who feels they have been a victim of a sexual offence to report it so that the allegations can be thoroughly and sensitively investigated by specialist officers.”

Brewer failed to answer bail before his trial but was eventually tracked down in Cumbria after an appeal for information on BBC Crimewatch.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Brewer is a truly wicked man. His denial forced the victims to relive their horrendous experience in a court room full of strangers.

“Brewer had already gone on the run, which meant they waited even longer for justice and further extending their ordeal. At least he is now behind bars and unable to abuse any more children."

Brewer was also banned indefinitely from having unsupervised access to children under the age of 16.

Anyone worried about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline free and in confidence on 0808 800 5000. Children can call ChildLine on 0800 1111.