Kent Police was contacted in October 2019 and a sexual assault on a woman at an address in Dover the previous month was reported.

An investigation was launched and detectives were later told of non-recent offences against two further victims, both of whom was abused in Ashford when they were children, one in the 1990s and another in around 2010.

Nicholas Lumsden was identified as the suspect, he was arrested and later charged with multiple sexual offences.

Lumsden, of Selcroft Avenue, Birmingham, denied the charges but, following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, he was convicted of 14 counts, including indecent assault, sexual assault of a child and sexual activity with a child.

The 40-year-old was brought back before that court on Wednesday 17 April 2024 and jailed for 14 years. He was ordered to serve an extra five years on licence following that term and made the subject of a 25-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Antony White, Kent Police’s investigating officer, said: ‘Lumsden subjected his victims to serious sexual offences and has refused to admit his crimes, adding to their ordeals.

‘I would like to praise the bravery of the victims for coming forward and for supporting our investigation and the resulting prosecution.

I hope the fact that Lumsden is now serving a lengthy prison sentence gives them some sense that justice has been done and I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual offences, whether recent or not, to contact police so that we can investigate.