A nursery worker has been jailed for eight years for the rapes and sexual assault against two children in Southampton.

Declan Norman, 23, coerced one of his victims - who was 13 at the time - into performing a sexual act on him in February 2020, the court heard.

Further allegations that Norman raped and sexually assaulted a young girl between a period of 2014 and 2020 were also heard by a jury at Southampton Crown Court.

A separate investigation into these matters by Hampshire and Isle of Wight’s Child Abuse Investigation Team found that Norman was in possession of a high volume of indecent images of children.

This followed a search of Norman’s home address in November 2021, where a number of electronic devices were found.

A laptop was seized and investigating officers discovered 88 Category A images – the most serious, 74 Category B images and 494 Category C images.

Norman, of Shinewell Gardens, Southampton, was found to be in the possession of 656 indecent images; albeit these were not deemed to be first edition images – so were not taken directly by Norman.

He was found guilty by a jury of rape against a child, sexual assault against a child and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

On September 7, Norman was sentenced to eight years with a further year extension.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period and on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

On sentencing Detective Constable Ella Knight, the officer in case, said: “The abhorrent offences committed by Declan Norman have, and will continue to have, a lasting impact on both the victims.

“My admiration for the victims and their parents is commendable.

“It takes a great deal of courage for people to come forward and speak to us about incidents of this nature, and that should never be underestimated; especially for those who have shown maturity beyond their years.

“I hope this case goes to show that regardless of how long ago a serious sexual assault, or sexual activity has happened, we will work tirelessly to relentlessly pursue perpetrators and provide specialist support to survivors.

“We want our communities to know that we stand with them and will do all in our power to bring the offenders of these horrendous crimes to justice via the criminal justice system.”

A spokesperson from Hampshire Constabulary said: “We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse to report this to police on 101 or via our online reporting tool.

“Always call 999 if a crime is in progress or you feel that you’re in danger.

“For more information on where to seek independent support as a survivor of sexual offences, you can visit our website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/”