A man from Dover has been jailed for 20 years, after being found guilty of 12 charges which included rape and indecent assault.

John James Carter, aged 63, of Edgar Road, was jailed for 20 years by Judge Simon James at Canterbury Crown Court today.

Carter denied several if the 20 offences he was charged for but was found guilty of 12 following a two week trial in January 2018.

He was convicted of: two counts of indecent assault on a girl; two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16; one count of engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16; two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a girl under 18; two counts of raping a woman, and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

The three victims were all known to him and some of the offences dated back to 2000.

During the investigation officers found 26 indecent images of children on Carter’s computer. Three of them were category A images – the highest category.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Julia Pettman said: “Carter is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on a vulnerable woman and girls.

“His victims showed great courage in coming forward and giving evidence and I hope his 20 year sentence will finally give them some closure.

“This was an extremely long and complex investigation with a number of victims and it was their compelling evidence in court that led to Carter’s conviction.

“Kent Police takes all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they took place.

“We have teams of specialist officers who work tirelessly to ensure that offenders do not evade justice.

“I hope other victims will have the confidence to come forward, safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with the utmost care and understanding.

“I also hope that this substantial sentence shows offenders just how seriously the courts take sexual offences against women and children.”