A paedophile will spend 13 years behind bars after being convicted of sexual offences against children across two decades.
Christopher Atherton, 47, of Milnthorpe Way in Ardwick, was found guilty of five charges at Minshull Street Court for incidents that took place between 2001 and 2019 and will spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders Register.
Three of those convictions were on a girl aged under 16 in Trafford between 2001 and 2004, with two charges of indecent assault and another of sexual assault.
The 2019 charges related to sexual assault of a child under 13 and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Detective Constable Steve Matthias from Greater Manchester Police’s Trafford Child Protection Unit said: “Atherton put his victims through two ordeals, firstly by carrying out this horrific abuse and then compounding that by denying his criminality and making them testify at his trial.
“The judge deemed him to be a significant risk of causing serious harm in the future and a danger to girls, and ordered that he remains on Sex Offender Register for life.
“I would like to commend the victims for coming forward to report his crimes and for giving evidence at his trial – that cannot have been easy.
“We want to reassure all victims and survivors that they will be supported regardless of how long has passed since the abuse took place and we will investigate all allegations.”
