A PAEDOPHILE who abused children over three decades has been jailed for eight years.

Alan West, 55, showed no emotion as he was sent to prison at Manchester Crown Court.

He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 17 sexual offences against children.

His abuse began in 1974 and spanned more than 30 years. Two of his three victims, a boy and a girl, were eight and nine when West began sexually assaulting them. But now grown up, they felt compelled to speak out.

His third victim, a girl of eight, was abused in May 2007.

David Toal, prosecuting, said: "Some of the abuse occurred many years ago in the 1970s and 1980s when the defendant was in his 20s.

"However, he also admitted abuse that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and also an incident more recently in 2007 when he was a married man."

West, of Cheadle, Stockport, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault, three counts of gross indecency with a child and one count of sexual assault on a child under 13.

The victims' families were in court as details of his horrific abuse were read out. In a victim impact statement, part of which was read out in court. One of the victims said West's abuse had `haunted' her.

Barry Grennan, defending, said West's wife had left him and he had twice tried to take his own life after the abuse came to light.

He said West did feel `responsible' for what he had done and did have `insight' into the effect he had on his victims.

West will have to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was also placed under a sexual offences prevention order, which stops him having unsupervised contact with children. West will be placed on licence when he is released from prison.

Judge Roger Thomas QC told West his offences had had a `devastating effect' on his victims' lives.

Det Con Claire Beach, who led the investigation, said: "West was in his 20s when his abuse started in the mid-70s, and he used the age-gap to take advantage of these defenceless children, robbing them of their innocence.

"However, the victims found the courage in adulthood to come forward and thanks to their bravery, his crimes have finally caught up with him and he is where he belongs - in jail.

"I hope the verdict demonstrates that if people are arrogant enough to think they can commit these horrific crimes and get away with it, they are wrong, and we will pursue people no matter how long in takes.

"I applaud the victims who came forward and would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to speak up."

Christopher Bradford, reviewing lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Working closely together with police, the CPS Service has ensured that Alan West has faced justice for the inexcusable acts he has committed."