A sex offender from Dover has been jailed for 22 years for the sexual abuse of a child that took place more than 40 years ago.
Roger Tester, aged 78, began abusing his victim when she was just a child.
Tester, from Dover, subjected his victim to a campaign of abuse that started in the late 1970s, including rape, gross indecency and indecent assault.
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The victim reported the crimes to Kent Police in December 2019 and following an investigation, Tester was charged with the offences.
Despite denying the charges, Tester was found guilty of rape, 12 counts of gross indecency with a child and five counts of indecent assault at the conclusion of a trial on Thursday 9 November 2023 at Canterbury Crown Court.
He was sentenced the same day to 22 years’ imprisonment, with a further year to be served on licence upon his release.
Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Amy Drury, said:
‘Tester robbed his victim of her childhood, forcing her to suffer horrendous abuse on repeated occasions. His refusal to admit to his crimes was a cowardly decision that meant his victim was put through the additional trauma of having to recount her childhood experiences in court.
‘We’re pleased that Tester will serve a long sentence for these appalling crimes and would like to commend the victim for her bravery in reporting what had happened to her. It is never too late to report child abuse, and we’d like to encourage anyone who has been affected by this to come forward to us.’