66-year-old paedophile jailed for 15 years after pleading guilty to sexual offences

Higgins used social media to request indecent images from one of his victims. Credit: Avon and Somerset Police

A 66-year-old man has been jailed for 15 years for committing sexual offences against two children.

Everet Winston Higgins, of Gloucester Road in Bath, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court earlier this month.

He previously pleaded guilty to five charges, including indecent assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and encouraging the taking of indecent photographs of a child.

As well as the custodial sentence he was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court Credit: BPM Media

Higgins groomed and sexually abused the first victim after meeting her in the late 1990s when she was in her mid-teens, the court heard.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police discovered he’d communicated with a second victim on social media, requesting indecent images.

When he was arrested, officers found handwritten notes between Higgins and the victim, where he’d made further requests for sexual acts.

The victim told officers the defendant had sexually assaulted her for a number of years.

Victim of fatal crash named as family release photograph
Girls missing from Bristol found safe and well

In a victim impact statement, the first victim said: "Despite everything he has done to me and the subsequent police and CPS involvement as a result I do not wish bad on him, but I believe that, whether he understands what he is doing is wrong or not, he will never stop.

"For the protection of other young people. I hope he receives a custodial sentence long enough to mean it is not possible for him to do this to anyone else ever again."

The second victim said in a statement: "It has been three years since the police intervened and Higgins’ actions are still impacting my life.

"I anticipate they will continue to impact me throughout my life, but it is difficult to foresee how."

Judge Ambrose described Higgins' offences as "having a profound effect on the lives of his victims".

Investigating officer Carl Spicer said: "Both victims have shown tremendous courage and strength in coming forward and speaking about the abuse inflicted on them.

“Higgins has shown no remorse for the pain and anguish he’s caused, which demonstrates what a manipulative sexual offenders he is.”

Details of organisations who can offer help and support to victims of rape and sexual abuse can be found here.