Moreton pleaded guilty to 11 offences of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child. He confessed to the charges at an early stage in the investigation to avoid the victim having to give evidence. As part of his defense, Moreton also submitted references from fellow racers and work colleagues.
Moreton must serve at least two-thirds of the prison term, worcesternews.co.uk reported. The judge also made a sexual offences prevention order and said Moreton must complete a sex offenders programme whilst in prison. He must sign on the sex offenders register for life.
"This is a substantial sentence which reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed by Moreton against this young girl,” Detective Constable Paul Willetts of West Mercia Police said. "Moreton was in a position of trust and betrayed that trust in the most terrible way. The child he abused - now a grown woman - had the courage to contact the police and it is thanks to the bravery of victims like her that the people who commit these despicable offences are identified and brought to justice, even many years later.
"We hope that the victim can now look to the future and obtain some closure from this,” Willetts continued. “While it should be stressed that crimes of this nature are rare in West Mercia, hopefully this case will reassure people that we robustly pursue all allegations involving sexual assaults, including historical abuse."
Google News