A man has been jailed for nine years for non-recent child sex abuse offences in Cumbria.

An investigation by Cumbria detectives has resulted in a man being jailed for a string of child sex offences committed decades ago in the Carlisle area.

Rodney Savage, aged 69, of no fixed address, was sentenced today (20 January) at Carlisle Crown Court to nine years.

Savage was jailed after pleading guilty of the following offences at an earlier hearing:

• Three counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14
• Two counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14
• One count of assault a girl under 13 by touching

Savage’s offending came to light after police received a report in November 2019. Extensive enquiries were carried out by detectives to identify and speak with victims and witnesses.

These enquiries established the scale of Savage’s abuse, which was committed over a period spanning the mid-1980s to the early 2000s.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Lisa Atkinson, said: “Both women have been incredibly brave in reporting what happened to them and they deserve huge credit.

“Our enquiries uncovered the scale of abuse of which Savage carried out over a period spanning almost two decades.

“When interviewed, Savage continually denied that he sexually abused these women when they were children. He has shown no remorse whatsoever for his crimes.

“I hope that this sentencing sends a clear message to survivors of sexual abuse, we are here to investigate what has happened and bring offenders to justice.

“No matter how long ago an incident occurred, we will do all we can to identify offenders and hold them to account. In this case we applied for Savage to be extradited from Cyprus so we could interview him and subsequently secure convictions.

“Together with trusted partner agencies, we can provide you with tailored support that continues throughout the length of our enquiries. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, please do not suffer in silence.”

If you have been affected by rape or sexual assault, please contact The Bridgeway Sexual Assault Support Service’s 24/7 free helpline on 0808 118 6432.