AN 81-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for sexually abusing a young girl.

Peterborough Crown Court was told that Geoffrey Bowd, of Daintree Way, Hemingford Grey, took every opportunity to abuse the girl starting when she was eight and continuing until she was 13.

Claire Matthews, prosecuting, said that he had “grossly breached a position of trust”.

“As a man in his later years, Bowd should have known better,” she added.

In mitigation Tim Brown told the court: “Until his late 70s and this incident, Bowd had an admirable and an enviable record that has now crashed and burned.”

Bowd was convicted of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and four counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 last Thursday (March 8) following a four-day trial.

The former concrete worker was sentenced for three and a half years in prison.

Judge Sean Enright said: “I don’t think it’s right that he will end his days in prison so the sentence will reflect that.”

Det Con Brian Dilloway told The Hunts Post outside the court: “The family have been traumatised by the investigation that lasted six months but are overjoyed by the result and that it is all over.”