A “SEXUAL predator” found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting seven girls as young as four years old has been jailed for 16 years.

Former coalman Jeffrey Stepney forced himself on the youngsters, leaving them hurt, confused and silent because they thought no one would believe them, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Although one of them made a complaint against Stepney in 1986, he denied all and the allegation was not pursued.

But the court heard she reported him again in August last year, and a police investigation resulted in six more victims saying Stepney also sexually assaulted them.

The 55-year-old, of Seymour Road, Staple Hill, denied eight rapes, one attempted rape and 13 charges of indecent assault.

The offences spanned from the mid 1970s to the 1990s, when all the complainants were aged under 16.

A jury took just under seven hours to find him guilty on all counts yesterday.

Imposing sentence, Judge Carol Hagen told Stepney: “You have been convicted of the gravest sexual offences. You abused a number of complainants over very long periods of time.

“You regarded them as objects for your own sexual gratification.”

The judge said Stepney’s offences were aggravated because he secured his victims’ silence by violent threats. She said: “All are to be commended for having had the courage, finally, to come forward and say what they have said.

“To some victims you caused pain and injury. There were multiple victims. You can be regarded as a sexual predator.”

Stepney was told he would serve half to two-thirds of the term behind bars before being eligible for release. He was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Five of the seven victims attended court to see Stepney sent down.

One of them reported him for sexual offences when she was aged 12, although it was her word against his and nothing was done.

But she reported him again two decades on and the successful conviction was the result.

After seeing him jailed, she told the Evening Post: “The abuse left me with no self-worth and it’s difficult for me to trust people.

“I’ve got children of my own and I find it very difficult to trust other people with my children.

“I had an issue in that he used to do heavy breathing when he got turned on and if I heard someone else breathing like that I would get upset.

“I think it’s very sad that a human being can do that to people without caring. He knows he’s done it.

“I hope that we can now move on, but I think it’s going to take a little while.”

None of Stepney’s victims can be named for legal reasons.

Ian Fenny, prosecuting, told the jury: “Their evidence is a powerful echo of their experiences as children.”

He described how Stepney had assaulted each girl, leaving them in pain and distress, and threatened them with dire consequences if they told anyone, telling one he would come after her with a knife.

Stepney had flatly denied all of the allegations, telling the jury he did not touch them inappropriately “at any stage”.

Detective Constable Erika Winbow, the investigating police officer, received a judge’s commendation for her “thorough and sensitive” work in the case.

She said: “This was a lengthy investigation into very serious offences committed against seven different children over a number of years.”