Detective Constable Ben Turnham from our Protecting Vulnerable People unit, leading the investigation said: “This has been a complex and lengthy investigation, and it is thanks to the immense bravery and courage of the woman coming forward and reporting the abuse Brian Christmas subjected her to all those years ago.

“Because of the woman’s determination and perseverance, we were able to gather a significant amount of evidence against Christmas, ultimately leading him to plead guilty on the first day of trial.

“Christmas took advantage of a child’s trust in him and committed vile sexual offences, which caused significant long-term trauma to the victim.

“It is never the victim’s fault, and we would strongly appeal for any child or adult who is or has been manipulated into doing something they don’t want to do, or anyone who suspects crimes of this nature are taking place, to please speak to a trusted adult or friend, and when ready, report to us.

“It doesn’t matter if the offences happened five hours or 50 years ago, we take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and we will do everything we can to bring individuals like Christmas to justice.”

If you have been a victim of sexual offences or know someone who has, please report to us directly via our non-emergency number 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Hear from one brave survivor, Jamie, who waived her legal right to lifelong anonymity to tell her story and empower others to come forward. Her message to you is, Tell Someone - Tell Someone | Humberside Police.