A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for historic sexual assaults on children as young as eight.

Stephen Burrows, also known as Marc, 47, of Fitkin Court, Redhouse, Swindon, Wiltshire, was found guilty of the offenses after a trial in August.

He committed two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, assault by penetration and causing a child to engage in sexual activity and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday.

He committed his crimes between 1999 and 2012, taking advantage of his victims as they sat in their homes.

When Burrows was in his 20s, he assaulted his first victim when she was aged between eight and 10, assaulting her when she woke up to have a drink in the early hours of the morning.

He assaulted his second victim twice, when she was aged between 10 and 12.

In a statement read to the court, one victim said: “It shouldn’t go without saying, but no child should have to go through what I did.

“I feel like my whole life was taken from me in that moment when this adult decided to do what he did to me as a child.

“I feel that the man who did this to me should get what he deserves – the passage of time changes nothing for me and I feel as strong as the day it happened.”

Another victim said in a statement: “Mark’s decision all those years ago affected my life in many different ways.

“It didn’t just take away my childhood, it affected my relationship with other people.

“It took away my esteem, my confidence, and made me feel unlovable.”

Sgt Chris Hughes said Burrows “manipulated” the two girls when they were “just children”.

“As adults, years after the abuse stopped, they found the courage to report what happened to them to the police,” he said.

“I would like to commend them for their courage in coming forward and their conduct throughout this process.”

He added that it is “never too late to report child sexual abuse” and encouraged anyone who was abused as a child to come forward to the police.