Retired Bridlington taxi driver used perverted 'game' to molest young girls

A retired taxi driver from Bridlington used a perverted game called 'hunt the thimble' to molest two young girls.

Michael Wilson, 75, sexually assaulted one girl and told the second girl to hide a thimble on her body so that he had an excuse to lift up her skirt and touch her.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said: "She would protest saying that the thimble wasn't in that area but he would continue to touch her in that area anyway."

Miss Quinney added that the first girl "did not say anything to anybody because she was too frightened".

The abuse was reported to the police in November and December 2018 and Wilson was arrested in April 2019.

The first girl later said: "The impact of the childhood abuse on my life has been lifelong.

"I knew something was wrong but how can you make sense of sexual abuse when you don't even know what that means? I just felt physically sick and full of fear."

The second girl said that, as a direct result of Wilson's actions, she had kept her guard up in life and become a solitary person, preferring her own company.

Richard Butters, mitigating, said that they were "dreadful offences" but that they were no isolated incidents and "there is no evidence of general offending".

Wilson made denials to the probation service but pleaded guilty, "albeit far too late", said Mr Butters.

Judge Sophie McKone told Wilson that he played the thimble-hunting game to "normalise" his behaviour.

She said: "You played a game with her. She told you that she did not want to play that game but you ignored that.

"You breached that trust to satisfy your selfish desire for children and you have profoundly affected their lives."

Wilson, of Sands Lane, has been jailed for seven years and two months after admitting one offence of indecent assault against one of the girls and four against the other at Hull Crown Court.

He will be on extended licence for one year after his release from prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

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