During her summing up Judge Sylvia De Bertodano stated the offences would have required a large degree of planning and were an abuse of trust. She went on to describe Clarke saying as “you are and will continue to be, a danger to the public” and that “these are the most serious sexual offences”.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Clive Leftwich, said: “Clarke told us when he was first in custody that he’d suspected for many years that he would be arrested for these matters. It is only now that the full extent of his offending has been revealed and that is due to the bravery of the victims. Their ordeal is now over and they can now try to rebuild their lives knowing that Clarke is behind bars”.
“Our Public Protection officers are specially trained to deal sensitively with sexual abuse victims, offer them support and guide them through the court process.
“Despite the victim coming to us 3 years after the offences were committed, our thorough investigations enabled us to present a compelling case to the jury. The strength of this evidence gave Clarke no alternative other than to admit his guilt.