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11/04/2019
Killer Sentenced For Historic Child Sexual Abuse
A man currently serving a life sentence for murder has been sentenced at Belfast Crown Court for historic child sex offences.
John Clifford was convicted of the abduction and murder of an eight-year-old girl in 1988. He has now pled guilty to three counts of indecently assaulting another young child between 1984 and 1986, and was sentenced to five years imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
The PSNI has welcomed the sentencing. Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie from the Public Protection Branch said: "John Clifford carried out a number of child sex offences over a period of years against a young child, manipulating and controlling his young victim so that they didn't speak out. The victim in this case had to carry this burden for decades before feeling able to speak out about the abuse.
"I encourage anyone who has been sexually abused to come forward and report it to police, even if it was a long time ago. We have trained officers who will treat all victims with sensitivity and respect. This case proves that even if a number of years have passed, we can still investigate reports of sexual offences against children and place offenders before the courts."
(JG/CM)
John Clifford was convicted of the abduction and murder of an eight-year-old girl in 1988. He has now pled guilty to three counts of indecently assaulting another young child between 1984 and 1986, and was sentenced to five years imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
The PSNI has welcomed the sentencing. Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie from the Public Protection Branch said: "John Clifford carried out a number of child sex offences over a period of years against a young child, manipulating and controlling his young victim so that they didn't speak out. The victim in this case had to carry this burden for decades before feeling able to speak out about the abuse.
"I encourage anyone who has been sexually abused to come forward and report it to police, even if it was a long time ago. We have trained officers who will treat all victims with sensitivity and respect. This case proves that even if a number of years have passed, we can still investigate reports of sexual offences against children and place offenders before the courts."
(JG/CM)
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