A long-serving fruit and vegetable wholesaler from County Derry in Northern Ireland has been jailed for 14 years for “systematically sexually abusing” young teenage babysitters.
Fred Ayton, 62, was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders register after being convicted by the Crown Court at Antrim, news outlet Belfast Live has reported.
Judge Donna McColgan QC said Ayton had built up a business of supplying fruit and vegetable to the catering trade over 30 years but has now lost that.
The offences took place over six years in the 1980s, when the victims were between the ages of 11 and 16.
Ayton admitted including attempted rape, attempted buggery with a girl, 24 counts of indecent assault on a female and seven charges of gross indecency with a child.
