A paedophile who sexually abused children for more than a decade has been jailed for eight years.

Robert Codling, 58, abused his victims between 2007 and 2019.

Codling would perform sexual acts on himself in front of the children and would touch them sexually, calling it “playfighting”.

The abuse came to light in 2019 when one of the victims confided in someone, who then reported it to the police.

At Cambridge Crown Court on February 9, Codling, of Princes Road in Wisbech, denied the allegations.

He was found guilty of six counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child aged 13 to 15 and exposure.

He was sentenced to eight years and two months in prison.

DC Melanie Bull said: “No sentence will ever erase what happened to the victims but I hope they will be able to find some closure from this traumatic period in their young lives.

“Tackling child abuse is a priority for us and we are working hard every day to bring offenders like Codling to justice.”

People who are concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence and could pose a risk to someone can apply for disclosure information through Sarah's Law.

Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry.