A 69-year-old Suffolk man who has been jailed for three years for sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl has gone to prison still protesting his innocence.

David King touched the girl between her legs during a visit to his house in the early 1990s and tried to have sex with her several years later when she was still under the age of 10 during another visit, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

David King has been jailed for three years.David King has been jailed for three years. (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

King, of Old Farm Road, Beccles, denied two offences of indecent assault and an offence of indecency with a child but was convicted by a jury after a trial in June.

He was cleared of three further offences which he had also denied.

In addition to being jailed King was ordered to sign the sex offenders indefinitely.

In an impact statement read to the court the victim, who watched the sentencing hearing via a remote video link, said she had been left with multiple issues as a result of what King did to her. 

“My existence has been based on filth, shame and guilt,” she said.

She said that King had had decades of freedom without facing the consequences of what he did to her whereas she’d been making the “best she could of her life”.

She said she had been left feeling numb and had found it difficult to have relationships as she’d been described as being “cold, apathetic and difficult “.

“I learned to lie about feelings,” she said in her statement.

She said she’d reported the offences to the police in 2020 and had had the matter hanging over her for four years due to delays caused by the pandemic and court backlogs.

Andrew Thompson for King said his client’s wife was 81 and in poor health and it was unlikely he would ever see her again if he was jailed.

He said King still protested his innocence.

Detective Constable Samuel Jones, of the Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to the victim who was courageous enough to share her experiences with the police. Investigations of this nature can be lengthy and require real resilience to see through.

“This case is also testament to the ongoing efforts by the police to bring offenders to justice, regardless of time passed. Those in our community who seek to abuse or exploit children will be held to account and where possible, brought to justice. I would urge victims of any serious violent or sexual offence to come forward to the police, we have specially trained officers who will treat you will sensitivity and compassion.

“No sentence will ever take away the trauma the victim suffered and the distressing experience to endure a trial and listen to evidence, but I hope today’s sentencing can serve as the first step towards the closure they deserve.”