A man has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for sexual assaults that spanned 14 years, on two young girls known to him .

Alexander Boast, 66, retired, of Pilot Road, Hastings, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Thursday 19 March after being found guilty of 23 offences against the two young girls, who were aged between four and 18 at the time of the offences in the late 1990's.

He raped one of the girls, and committed offences including sexual assault, gross indecency, and incitement to engage in sexual activity.

Detective Constable Anton Affonso said; "The offences came to light just 15 months ago when one of the victims made a disclosure to the other and they realised that Boast had been sexually abusing them both for over a decade.
 
"Boast had wormed his way into the confidence of these two very young and vulnerable girls, and systematically subjected them to appalling sexual abuse over a period of 14 years.

"Eventually we were able, with the support and the evidence of the two girls who are now adults, to bring Boast to justice. We would like to thank the two victims, who bravely testified from behind a screen in the courtroom, for their determination and strength in seeing the case through

"The police will always take seriously such reports, no matter how long ago the events are said to have occurred."