John Wavell (62), who was sentenced in the Royal Court, carried out all the offences against one victim, who was a young girl at the time.
Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood, prosecuting, told the court that the first of the crimes occurred in 1983 when he physically assaulted the youngster.
The Superior Number, who convene for only the most serious cases, heard that Wavell also sexually abused the girl in the late 1980s.
In a police interview, the victim said that during one of the incidents ‘I wanted to scream but I was so scared that I just kept quiet’.
Wavell, who was arrested in April after the victim went to the police last year, pleaded guilty to grave and criminal assault and sexual abuse offences.
Advocate Michael Haines, defending, said that his client was of otherwise good character and had expressed, in writing, ‘deep regret’ for his actions.
But delivering the court’s sentence, Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith told the defendant that he would be jailed for four years and a half years – six months longer than the sentence requested by the prosecution– due to ‘the public distaste’ towards his offences.
The commissioner was sitting with Jurats Geoffrey Fisher, Michael Liston, Charles Blampied, Geoffrey Grime, Jerry Ramsden and Sylvia Milner.
In a statement released yesterday, the States police said that they and their partner agencies had provided specialised support to the victim, who had ‘bravely come forward’ during their investigations.
They also pointed out that perpetrators of such crimes, whether historic or current, would continue to be dealt with robustly by the courts to reflect the impact these crimes have upon their victims.
A police spokeswoman said: ‘The States police have the utmost determination to investigate and prosecute child sexual abuse, historic or current.
‘We want to assure victims that there is help available from a number of agencies who are in a position to offer support and guidance through all stages of the criminal justice process.’
