Craven man jailed for sexually abusing girls over decades
He sexually abused girls as young as five
Last updated 11th Mar 2026
A man from Craven has been jailed for over 18 years after sexually abusing four girls, as young as five, over a number of decades.
82-year-old Herning Thompson, of Victoria Street, Skipton, abused girls between the ages of five and 12 from 1981 to 2020.
He was previously found guilty of:
- six counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16
- four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching
- four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of the body or an object
- and two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 13
He has been sentenced to 18 years in jail with an extended licence period of 12 months on release.
He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life.
Victim impact statement
One of the victims said: “Although many years have passed, the trauma of what happened has never left me.
“I continue to experience distressing memories and emotional pain linked to what happened.”