Paedophile pigeon fancier from Wakefield abused girls and silenced them with threats
A ageing pervert who spent years abusing young girls has been jailed - with the judge questioning whether he will ever be released.
Ronald Nicklin was handed a sentence of more than 19 years at Leeds Crown Court today, but at the age of 78, Judge Simon Batiste said it was a “moot” issue if he would survive long enough to ever be freed.
Nicklin, of Mill Dam Lane, Pontefract, raped one young girl on multiple occasions and would take chances to abuse her when he could - including at an allotment and even at his pigeon-racing club.
The second victim said he would be “undeterred” even if people were about, but she refused to let him rape her, despite him “begging”, prosecutor Ella Embleton said.
He would make them sit on his knee and touch them, perform oral sex and demand they give him oral sex.
The girls, who were as young as six, said he would then make threats that they would not be believed if they tried to tell anyone.
The victims have said that between them, Nicklin’s sickening assaults left them with PTSD, suffering nightmares , flashbacks and suicidal thoughts. One said the smell of alcohol or tobacco was enough to trigger her.
His years of abuse came to light when one of the victims, now a woman, gave birth to her own child and she confided in a family relative earlier this year.
Nicklin was arrested and interviewed, but refused to answer questions.
He later admitted two counts of rape of a child, two of assault of a child by penetration, six of sexual assault of a child, seven of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of exposure.
Judge Batiste said despite the horrific nature of his crimes, he said it was “extremely unusual” in historic abuse cases for defendants to admit their guilt.
Nicklin has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Frances Pencheon said his strongest point were his guilty pleas and that he had never “troubled” the courts before.
Judge Batiste told him: “You have accepted your guilt and there’s no dispute as to what you did.
“What is entirely obvious here is the utterly profound impact that your offending has had on these two now young women.
“It’s difficult to underestimate the impact your behaviour has had upon these children.”
He jailed him for a total of 18 years and nine months, with an extended licence period of one year. He was put on the sex offender register for life.