Father-of-two gets two years’ prison for sexually assaulting schoolgirl
A MAN who showed no remorse about sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, has been jailed for two years.
Father of two, Tony Francis, aged 34, from Henfield Close, Bexleyheath, had pleaded not guilty to the assault when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court, saying there had never been any misconduct by him.
The little girl was forced to give evidence against him through a closed circuit television link, and had to describe what had taken place on July 3, last year.
His defence Alan Warmsley said the assault had not been part of a pattern of long-term abuse by Francis on the little girl. It had been a single incident.
“This case will have a devastating effect on Francis’s life and that of his family. His wife has stood by him throughout,” he said.
Sentencing him last week, Judge Simon Pratt said: “You have shown no remorse. You made this girl give evidence and re-live the events. Prison is necessary and inevitable.”
He also ordered Francis’ name to remain on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
