Ian Frape

A man from Cornwall has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a young girl in the 1980s.

Ian Frape, 59, formerly of the Newquay area, sexually abused the child in mid-Cornwall. The abuse occurred decades ago and only came to light when the victim, now an adult, found the courage to report it to Devon and Cornwall Police.

Frape was arrested and charged with eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, indecent exposure and gross indecency with a girl under 14. He pleaded guilty to all charges in April.

In a victim impact statement, the survivor described how the abuse had affected her entire life. She said: "This affected my childhood, my education and has changed the course of my life." She revealed she had suffered panic attacks, flashbacks, and recurrent nightmares of feeling trapped. She also turned to drugs to cope, using them to feel numb. The abuse led her to self-sabotage relationships and opportunities because of feelings of shame. As a mother, she became very protective of her children and her mental health was badly affected. She added: "But now the shame belongs to the person who abused me, not to me."

In mitigation, Jason Beal said Frape had accepted the sexual motivation of his actions and his life had broken down as a result of the abuse coming to light. His guilty plea spared the victim the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr, sentencing at Truro Crown Court, said the abuse was "truly devastating for her". He added: "It took her many decades to find the strength to go to the police and report the offences. She will carry what you did to her to her grave." Frape, who had a previous conviction for indecent exposure, was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

The case was investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police.