A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting three children.
Dean Mountain, of Wallwood Road, Ramsgate, was sentenced yesterday (Friday 14 July) at Norwich Crown Court to 14 years imprisonment and 8 years on license and also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Following a four-week trial, he was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault of a girl under 13 and one count of attempted indecent assault a girl under 14. He has been placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for life.
The charges relate to three children and occurred in Thetford between 1989 and 2004.
Victim personal statements, which were read out in court, detailed the impact of Mountain’s offending on their lives,
One victim said: “Dean stole my childhood. Instead of being free to play and enjoy my childhood, I was burdened with fear, guilt and so much confusion.”
Another victim said: “I have suffered from the side effects of my abuse for the full 30 years since it happened. I am not sure I will ever be free of it.”
During the trial, Mountain made admissions relating to a fourth victim. He was charged in relation to these incidents in 1997 but the case was dropped before it reached trial. This victim’s evidence of his bad character was vital in securing his conviction.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Pippa Maskell said: “I would like to commend all the victims involved in this case. They had to relive incredibly difficult details of traumatic incidents in their lives and these were integral in securing Mountain’s convictions.
“It doesn’t matter how long ago it occurred, we will always investigate reports of sexual assault and take each one very seriously.
“These types of offences can have a lifelong impact on their victims and I want to thank them for their bravery. I hope this sentence provides them with some level of closure and comfort knowing he can no longer reoffend.”
