A ‘manipulative’ child abuser has been jailed for five years and eight months.

Dennis Wakefield, 58, sexually abused two young girls.

His offences were carried out over a six-year period.

Jailing him for a total of 68 months, Deemster Graeme Cook described the offences as ‘appalling’. ‘You took away the innocence of these young girls,’ he said.

Wakefield’s offences were discovered when one of the victims made comments about the proper names for the parts of the body.

This prompted an adult to raise concerns with police and social services.

Examination of electronic devices seized from the defendant found 568 indecent still and moving images on his phone, laptop, iPad, and hard drive.

denied

Wakefield, of Snugborough Avenue in Union Mills, had previously denied 12 offences – including four counts of gross indecency and two of indecent assault as well as six counts of possessing indecent images of children – but then changed his plea to guilty to all counts.

A video victim impact statement was played to the court which showed one of the children saying that she now suffered from panic attacks as a result of the abuse she suffered.

In a written statement, the girl’s mother told Wakefield that he was a ‘manipulative monster’.

The Court of General Gaol Delivery heard that Wakefield was a former school caretaker, army cadet instructor and special constable.

Deemster Cook placed him on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely and made him the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.