Paedophile jailed over string of offences dating back 31 years

A PAEDOPHILE who kept notebooks detailing his sexual fantasies about young girls has been jailed for 16 years for a string of offences dating back to 1979.

Thomas Fisher, who will remain on the sex offenders register for life, was sentenced at York Crown Court after admitting sexually abusing two girls.

The crimes were committed in Leeds and Knaresborough between 1979 and 2008, when the girls were between the ages of seven and 17.

North Yorkshire Police raided Fisher’s home and seized computers which contained 751 indecent images of children and seven video files of bestiality.

Officers also found notebooks containing sexual fantasies about slaves, young girls and mothers and daughters.

The crimes only came to light last year when the second victim reported the abuse.

Fisher, 65, of Boroughbridge, initially denied the allegations, apart from admitting that he had a consensual relationship with the first victim when she was 18, which he claimed she had instigated.

But he eventually pleaded guilty to 19 offences including sexual touching, inciting sexual activity with a child, sexual assault and rape.

Det Con Sam Pearson, who led the investigation, said Fisher had displayed “blatant disregard” for his victims, adding: “Although this cannot make up for the mental and physical suffering the victims have endured, it is a consolation to them that the matter has been dealt with seriously by the police and the courts, and he has been given a substantial prison sentence.”

The head of North Yorkshire Police’s vulnerable persons unit, Det Chief Insp Kerrin Smith, said: “It is certainly the most significant sentence passed for an investigation undertaken by our department.”