Keith Gilding, 72, of Dale Road, Dereham, who previously denied any of the offences, was found guilty of a total of 14 offences, eight counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape, two counts of buggery and two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 13 years old. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison at Norwich Crown Court with one year to be served on licence. Gilding, who subsequently pleaded guilty at court, was sentenced to 18 years, and ordered to serve one year on licence. He was also subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). In the late 1980s to 1990, Gilding abused two children, one repeatedly into their teens, including rape and a second who was indecently assaulted while they were still a young child. One of the victims called police to report the abuse in June 2020. The second victim was interviewed in July 2020 and Gilding was arrested by police on 16 July 2020. One of the victims spoke of how it had affected them throughout their life and relationships, that they didn’t even ‘like cuddling’ even when they became a parent, they could not show their emotions, adding ‘I have flashbacks still to this day’. A second victim said it impacted on their teenage years, where they began drinking alcohol to try to forget their feelings. It was only becoming parent that helped them to turn things around but that they still suffered flashbacks. DC Emma Beck said: “The sentence will hopefully go some way to seeking justice for his victims. As an adult, Gilding was in a position of trust which he abused. “These crimes had a lasting impact on the victims, their relationships and quality of their lives. We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to report or seek help.”
