Former sailor Keith Anderson jailed over child rapes
A former Royal Navy sailor who repeatedly raped two young girls has been jailed for seven years and four months.
Keith Anderson, 60, began abusing the youngsters in December 1986 when they were aged 11 and nine.
The abuse continued for three years until one of the girls threatened to kill him if he touched her again.
He pleaded guilty on indictment to two charges of repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping the girls.
The court was told that he had been jailed in 1976 for assaulting one of the girls and breaking her arm when she was four months old.
He also served a prison sentence in 1980 for attacking a 16-week-old baby boy and breaking 17 of his ribs.
Defending QC Paul Haran said Anderson was willing to undergo rehabilitation to tackle his sexual offending.
Passing sentence, judge Lord Kinclaven noted that Anderson had expressed remorse and regret for the offences committed at a "time of turmoil" in his life.
He told the accused: "You have accepted responsibility for two very serious sexual offences against two children when you were aged between 32 and 35.
"These were offences which took place during a period of about three years against two young children, the first aged between 11 and 14 and the second aged between nine and 12."
He added: "You acted in gross breach of trust."
Lord Kinclaven said the sentence would have been 11 years if Anderson had not accepted responsibility at an early stage by tendering a guilty plea.
Outside court, the older of his two victims, now aged 38, said she had suffered "constant violence" from Anderson.
Asked for her reaction to the jail sentence, she said: "It's not long enough, but it'll do."