A PAEDOPHILE who groomed a young girl has been found guilty of indecent assault.

Clive Manning, 54, met the victim in Crawley when he was 21 and she was seven-years-old.

He began grooming her, which allowed him to engage in sexual activity with her for months before he moved out of the area.

The victim reported the abuse to police for the first time in October 2017 after a chance meeting with Manning, who now lives in Surrey.

He was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, January 7.

These took place between the autumn of 1986 and the spring of 1987.

He pleaded not guilty to the allegations during his trial, but a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday, January 16.

Detective Sergeant Martin Alchin-Gadd said: “The victim was very brave to come forward after all this time.

“She has lived with the abuse she suffered as a child for a long time before deciding to come and speak to us.

“Now she has seen justice served.

“We will always take allegations of this nature seriously, regardless of how much time has passed since they happened, and a full investigation will take place.

“Wherever there is sufficient evidence, we will seek to bring offenders to justice.”