A pervert pensioner has been jailed for 11 years for sexually abusing three girls over several years.

Richard Carleton had denied four charges of causing a child to watch a sexual act, four of assault by penetration, three of sexual assault on a child, two of causing or inciting a child to engage in a sexual act, two of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and one of indecency with a child.

He was convicted of all the offences. Three were unanimous verdicts and the remainder were by a majority.

Judge Jeremy Carey told 69-year-old Carleton, of Wetham Green, Upchurch: "You have been convicted on clear evidence of serious sex offences. You leave behind a trail of misery and grief.

"This was for your depraved satisfaction. This was not an isolated incident. A substantial prison sentence is inevitable. You abused three young girls who were highly vulnerable."

The judge said Carleton's sentence would eventually pass, but the victims and their families would never be truly "healed".

Maidstone Crown Court heard the parents of one girl called the police after she told them Carleton showed her pornography on a computer.

The pictures and film clips he showed her included sex acts with schoolgirls, said prosecutor Eloise Marshall. She also complained that Carleton exposed himself to her and on one occasion tried to make her touch him.

Richard Carleton was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court

Another girl revealed Carleton molested her. He performed a sex act in front of her, rubbed up against her and made her touch him sexually.

"Afterwards, he behaved as if nothing had happened," said Miss Marshall.

On one occasion she said she did not want to do it, but he insisted "it had to be done".

Carleton showed the girl a leaflet with pornographic images. He also performed a sex act in front of her and asked her to do it.

"He told her not to tell anyone and said it was a secret," she added. "He said: 'You don't need to tell your friends about this.'"

The third girl complained of one incident several years ago.

Carleton, she said, asked her: "Do you want to see something?" He then exposed himself, she said, and got her to touch him sexually.

Carleton denied all the allegations.