A SEX offender from Kidderminster who indecently assaulted a young boy has been jailed for five years.

Alan Page, 55, of Burcher Green in Kidderminster, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday, December 19 having been found guilty of five indecent assaults and for inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency at an earlier hearing.

Page committed the offences between July 1, 1996, and October 1, 1996 in Stourport-on-Severn, all involving a boy who was 12 years old at the time.

DC Kirsty Hickling, the investigating officer, said: “We take allegations of this nature very seriously, regardless of when they occurred. I hope the sentencing indicates this and West Mercia Police’s priority of protecting people from harm and bringing offenders to justice.”

The victim, Tom Leavesley, who is now 31, has waived his right to anonymity.

Mr Leavesley said: “The last 12 months, from my initial interview with the police through to the trial and sentencing today, have been incredibly painful and stressful for me and my family. Whilst I am relieved this formality is finally over, my personal recovery from this crime continues.

“I’d particularly like to thank DC Kirsty Hickling from West Mercia Police. She handled the investigation sensitively and with compassion. I’d also like to thank the West Mercia Sexual Abuse Support Centre who have supported me throughout the justice process.

“The volunteers at both Worcester and Hereford Crown Court were also fantastic and are unsung heroes in my eyes. Attending court is a daunting process but they made it more bearable by keeping me informed throughout the trial and making sure I was in the right place at the right time.

“I’m determined to turn the negative events from my childhood into something more positive and fulfilling. I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in August to raise money for an abuse survivors charity and will be taking part in various other charity events in 2015 and beyond which I’m incredibly excited about and looking forward to.”

Mr Leavesley’s donation page is mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/tomsurvivors