A man who raped and sexually abused children has been jailed for 26 years.
Andrew Robert Pope, 56, was found guilty of seven counts of rape of a girl under 13 and nine counts of sexual intercourse with a girl aged 13-15 after a trial in June.
The jury also found him guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and taking indecent images of a child. All crimes occurred between 2010 and 2024.
Pope, of Rolleston Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, denied his guilt during a police investigation and trial and was jailed at Stafford Crown Court on Friday. Police praised the survivors for their bravery.
He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and a restraining order was issued banning him from contacting survivors.
Staffordshire Police said the investigation into Pope began in May 2024 after a victim came forward.
Police spoke to a number of other survivors before arresting him.
Detective Constable Gemma Sharp said Pope’s crimes were “prolific” and praised the survivors for showing “tremendous courage”.
“Pope tried until the very end to conceal what he had done,” she added, “but due to our evidence and the bravery of the survivors, he failed.”
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