70-year-old man jailed for 23 years for decades-long sexual abuse of young girls

A 70-year-old serial sex offender will almost certainly die in prison after being jailed for 23 years for sexually abusing four young girls over a period spanning some three decades.

Pensioner Michael Grimes pleaded guilty to 17 counts of child abuse against four young girls.

The judge described his actions as ‘beyond normal human comprehension’ and said they were ‘vile, despicable, and perverted’.

Grimes, of Croft Green, Dunstable, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court today.

As well as the sentence, he was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

He was caught after police received information that an IP address linked to his home was being used to download indecent images of young children.

Police then raided his home and they found devices containing more than 4,600 indecent images of children and babies, including almost 1,000 of the most severe category.

During their investigations, four women came forward to claim they had been sexually abused by Grimes.

The abuse spanned over a period of some 30 years.

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One of the victims told the court in a statement: ‘What happened to me has not eased with time it never will.

‘I am a real victim and it affects me every day in one way or another. I have come to live with the fact that I will never be free of this ordeal.’

The police said they were delighted with the verdict.

‘Grimes is clearly a very dangerous individual and I’m pleased that he has been locked away for such a significant amount of time,’ said Investigation Officer Paul Baddeley from the Bedfordshire Police.

‘This punishment can never make up for the years of abuse that Grimes inflicted, not to mention the lasting mental anguish caused to his victims, but I hope that those involved can feel comforted by the fact he is now no longer a risk to others in society.’