A man has been jailed 18 years and 10 months for historic sex offences.
Anthony Hart aged 63 pleaded guilty to 25 counts of rape and was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court yesterday
The offences occurred against a child between 2005-2007. The victim was 14-years-old when the offences began and she was raped on a regular basis until the age of 16.
Hart was also made to sign a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Sergeant Paul Sumner, of GMP’s Criminal Investigation Department in Wigan, said: “This is a significant sentence, reflective of the crimes Hart committed some 19 years ago”
“The victim estimates that she was raped hundreds of times by Hart.
“I must thank the victim and their family for having the strength and courage to come forward and allow us to fully investigate this case. This was a horrifying ordeal for a young person to have to go through, when they should have been free to live their life and enjoy themselves.
“While his sentencing cannot take away from the years of suffering Hart caused his victim, we hope it provides some solace in the fact that they are no longer at large.
“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, or knows someone who has, to come forward and speak to the police. We will listen to you and we will investigate.”
