A CHILD sex abuser who so affected one victim she was still afraid to leave the house 15 years later has been jailed for 12 years.

Oxford Crown Court heard that remorseless Anthony Pitts still did not admit his guilt – despite being found by jurors in March to have committed a campaign of sexual abuse against a young boy and girl while in his teens and early 20s.

The 39-year-old, who has autism and learning disabilities, did not flinch as Judge Michael Gledhill QC sent him down for a dozen years.

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Judge Gledhill described Pitts as a bully who had ‘dominated’ his victims: “You have problems. You have learning disabilities, you went to a special needs school, your IQ is in the lowest five per cent range of the population.

“But I point out the obvious: that others in that low range of IQ do not go around sexually abusing [children] over a prolonged period of time, which is exactly what you did.

“You have dyslexia, you are borderline intellectual functioning and you are on the autism spectrum, though fortunately your autism is mild. You have the emotional capacity of a 14-year-old.

“I again point out the obvious; that 14-year-olds do not go around sexually abusing [victims].”

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Earlier this year, jurors heard that while he was still in his teens Pitts had sexually abused a boy. Later, he had repeatedly molested a girl.

Speaking at Pitts’ sentencing hearing on Monday morning, his second victim said she had suffered years of anxiety and depression following his abuse. The woman, who reported the sexual abuse with after speaking to a therapist, said her difficulties had left her reluctant to leave the house. She complained of seeing him ‘living his life acting as if he’s done nothing wrong’.

Mitigating, Dean Easthope said his client had a low IQ, was on the autistic spectrum and had learning difficulties. Since being remanded in custody he had not seen his girlfriend or his unwell mother. He had a job in the prison garden.

'Culture shock'

“It is going to be a very difficult sentence for him to serve,” the barrister said.

“It is a complete culture shock for him, as a 39-year-old man living with his mum now subject to the prison regime with his difficulties.”

The defendant, who had held down a job at RAF Brize Norton, had no previous convictions except a caution for stealing from an employer.

Pitts, of Milestone Road, Carterton, was found guilty of 13 counts including rape, gross indecency and sexual assault. He was acquitted of five other counts.

Judge Gledhill praised the two victims, both of whom were sat in court. After hearing the woman read her victim impact statement, he said: “It is very brave of you to come forward in the first place. Very brave of you both to give evidence and face up to what happened now quite a long time ago.”

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