Shropshire Star

Face of Telford man, 47, jailed for child sex abuse

This is the face of Ian Gilbertson from Telford, who was this week jailed for 13 years for abusing a young girl he had groomed for sex.

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Gilbertson assaulted the girl repeatedly from the ages of 11 to 16, and used threats to ensure the victim's silence. He claimed the girl had invented her allegations but he was unable to explain how she could describe a distinctive mole on his body.

Ian Gilbertson

The girl was too frightened to tell anyone when the abuse was taking place and only revealed it when she saw a counsellor during her first year at university.

Gilbertson, 47, from Leegomery, had denied attempted rape, sexual activity with a child, and four counts of inciting sexual activity with a child.

However, he was found guilty of all counts by a jury at Exeter Crown Court after a week-long trial and jailed for a total of 13 years by Recorder Mr Stephen Parish.

The recorder told Gilbertson, who had previously lived in Devon: "You told her that this is what all girls did and that she must not tell. There followed a familiar pattern of grooming. If she refused your requests, you threatened to rape her."

The jury heard how the girl had been sexually assaulted about 20 times.

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