Wiltshire man jailed for abusing children

8 February 2019, 09:10 | Updated: 8 February 2019, 09:14

A predatory sex offender who abused 22 young children over nine years has been given six life sentences.

Peter Daniels, aged 70, formerly of Alderbury, pleaded guilty to 78 charges, which were carried out between 2008 and 2017 and relate to children who were aged between two and 13 at the time.

He was given prison terms for each of the charges, including six life sentences, which will all run concurrently, and told he will have to serve nine years before being considered for parole.

It follows a lengthy investigation by Wiltshire Police, the biggest child sexual exploitation case in the history of the force, and extensive partnership work with Wiltshire Council and Crown Prosecution Service.

A joint statement from Det Insp Nicki Davey, from Salisbury CID, Jen Salter, head of support and safeguarding, families and children's services at Wiltshire Council, and Claire Booth, from the CPS, said: "Daniels is a predatory and prolific paedophile who has
spent years grooming not only the children he abused, but also their families and the wider community in Salisbury.

''We would also like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victims in this case. This has been a hugely upsetting and traumatic experience for them and all the relevant agencies are continuing to provide ongoing help and support for them and their families.

''We hope this case will raise awareness about child sexual exploitation, particularly about how to spot the signs of grooming or abuse.

''Also, we hope it reinforces the message that if you have been a victim of any kind of abuse or sexual assault, please tell someone you trust. There is support available and the police will investigate, no matter how long ago it happened.''

If you want to speak to police, either to report your suspicions, or to speak to an officer about something which has happened to you, please call 101.