A former lorry driver has been jailed for 14 years for the “sickening abuse” of two young girls 20 years ago.

Graham Stewart molested the victims in his lorry and also played card games in the cab which involved the loser removing clothes.

The 52-year-old delivery driver, of Spitfire Road, West Malling, denied seven charges of indecent assault, five of indecency with a child and one of sexual activity with a child.

He was convicted of all charges in July apart from sexual activity with a child.

Prosecutor Christopher May said Stewart would make the girls remove their lower clothing and get them to sit on his lap in his lorry.

Stewart asked one of the girls if she wanted to drive his lorry, but it was a device to get her to sit on his lap.

“He told her to remove her trousers and underwear,” Mr May he told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

"These are sickening offences. In every case the victim will be heard in the hope this tide of abuse overtaking us all will one day turn" - Judge Martin Joy

Stewart exposed himself and there was contact with the girl but not intercourse. He also got the girls to make a drawing of his private parts.

He touched one of the girls indecently and got her to touch him. He performed a sex act on her.

“He put a video on of him having sex and asked if she liked it,” said Mr May.

He showed the girls pornographic magazines. He also told the victims he would give them money if they touched him. He offered them £2.

“As they were young, they did it,” said Mr May. “They thought they would be able to get some sweets. These girls probably wouldn’t have understood what was going on. They just laughed about it.”

One of the girls eventually told her mother, but it was taken no further.

Simon Taylor, defending, told Judge Martin Joy at the sentencing hearing on Monday: “His level of depravity seems to have come to an end a long time ago.”

The judge said Stewart created a situation where complaints of abuse fell on deaf ears.

“These are sickening offences,” he added. “In every case the victim will be heard in the hope this tide of abuse overtaking us all will one day turn.”

After sentencing, Detective Constable Barry Goodsell said: "There is no excuse for what Graham Stewart did to these two young girls, who showed great courage in speaking out and reporting his terrible crimes to police.

"The lengthy sentence imposed on Stewart reflects the seriousness of his actions and sends a clear message to anyone else who abuses children for their own sexual gratification.

"Kent Police takes all reports of historic sexual abuse seriously and I would like to assure victims that their reports will be thoroughly investigated no matter the length of time that has passed since the incident occurred."