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A paedophile who abused a young girl over the course of seven years, robbing his victim of her childhood, has been jailed.

Anthony Baron, 68, of Main Street, Gisburn, began abusing the girl in 2006, when she was seven years old, a police spokesman said.

Following his conviction for eight counts of sexual abuse of a minor, Baron was jailed for seven years at Burnley Crown Court on Monday.

Det Con Ryan Benson paid tribute to the young victim: "Through his perverted actions. he [Baron] has effectively robbed her of her childhood. And yet, she has had the courage, not only to come forward and report what he did to her, but also the bravery to see the case through to its rightful outcome."

"I trust she feels some sense that justice has been done."

He added: "I hope this outcome gives others who may have been through similar ordeals the confidence to come forward and speak about what has happened, in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally, and without fear or favour.”

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