A Basingstoke man has been jailed for 20 years for sexually abusing three children over the space of 15 years.
Steven Beddoes, of St Peter’s Road, in South Ham, was found guilty of committing 23 different offences against two girls and a boy.
The offences included rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, and indecency with a child, and all took place in the Basingstoke area between 1999 and 2014.
Beddoes, 46, denied each of the 24 offences put against him during his trial at the end of August at Winchester Crown Court.
And following a guilty verdict, Judge Susan Evans sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment at the same court on Friday, November 18, with an extended licence period of six years.
He was also ordered to be placed on the sexual offenders register for life as part of the sentence, which came about following a joint investigation carried out by Hampshire Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT), and Basingstoke CID.
Detective Constable Timothy McSpadden, of CAIT, said: “The sentence handed down reflects the gravity of the offences committed by Steven Beddoes, and how seriously the court takes these matters.
“The victims in this case have been very courageous in both speaking to the police and giving evidence in court.
“By doing this they have allowed justice to be served, and have prevented Beddoes from causing any more harm to the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Detective Constable Alex Hall, of Basingstoke CID, added: “The police and the CPS would not have been able to prosecute Steven Beddoes if it had not been for the bravery of the victims coming forward.
“We would like to thank them for speaking to us, and trusting us to help them.”