Child sex dad jailed

AN OLDHAM father of three convicted of a string of sex offices against two young girls has been jailed for 10 years.

John Clarke (49), of Dowry Street, Fitton Hill, was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual activity with a child at his Manchester Crown Court trial at.

Judge Andrew Lowcock told him: “You took advantage of their vulnerability caused incalculable damage to their lives. You have never shown a degree of remorse.”

A jury was told Clarke, who has no contact with his three children, cynically groomed the two under-age girls, giving them money and gifts.

One of his victims was only 13 when Clarke set out to take advantage of her. She later told police she had both loved and hated him at the same time. She became the object of his attentions around 2009, and the relationship lasted three years.

The other girl was 15 and Clarke committed offences against her between 2004 and 2005.

Judge Lowcock said Clarke hadn’t used force in either case, but took advantage of their vulnerable situations for his own sexual gratification.

The judge said he had had to consider whether Clarke posed a significant risk to the public and should be classed as dangerous, but suggested the evidence didn’t point to such a conclusion.

Vanessa Thomson defending, said her client had been going through a difficult period in his life when the offences were committed. He had suffered depression and mental health problems and continued to deny the allegations.

“In his mind” she said, “they had simply never happened.”