AN 81-year-old man who sexually abused youngsters while he was a children's home house parent, has been jailed for two years.

Henry Christie had been convicted last month of 13 offences involving indecently assaulting two boys and three girls.

The offences took place between 1973 and 1981 while the victims, who were aged between eight and 13, were living at the West Kirby Residential School.

Jailing Christie, who showed no emotion during the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Ann Downey said that all the victims had been "vulnerable children living away from home and you were in a position of trust towards them.

"You seriously breached that trust and it was plain while they were giving evidence that your behaviour towards them has left its mark on them."

Judge Downey added that she reduced what would otherwise be the appropriate sentence because of his age. She ordered that he register under the Sex Offenders' Act for ten years.

During the hearing, which was attended by some of his victims who are now adults, the court was told that he was convicted at Peterborough Crown Court in 1991 of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl. Two similar offences were left to lie on the file and he was given a nine-month suspended jail sentence.

Mr William Waldron, QC, prosecuting, said that Christie, a widower of Russett Avenue, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, still faced nine charges involving allegedly abusing three young sisters in Wirral about 30 years ago.

The judge ordered these to lie on the file after Mr Waldron said: "The prosecution view is that it is not in the public interest to proceed to trial because of his age."

During Christie's 11-day trial the jury heard that some of the offences took place at the home and others during visits to the cinema and swimming baths.

Christie, who lived in Hoylake with his wife at the time of the offences, denied all allegations which initially included four more indecent assaults on another girl and boy, of which he was cleared.

His QC Malcolm Stewart said that the offences were not as serious as some which come before the courts.

Christie, who spent 24 years in the RAF, had changed his lifestyle and did not bring himself into contact with young children since his 1991 conviction, which had brought him up with a jolt.

The danger of such people re-offending decreased with age and he is now 81 years old, said Mr Stewart.

He added: "Despite the terrible wrongs he did at the home, he appeared to have benefited others there."

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