An Oswestry man who raped a youth and sexually assaulted a young boy has been jailed for more than five years.

Alan Robert Hancock appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentence on Friday when social and psychiatric reports were considered.

Judge Peter Barrie said the rape victim was already vulnerable and was significantly younger than Hancock and had been distressed by the experience.

He said there were severe psychological consequences for the victim which was an aggravating feature.

In addition, the sexual assault involving a seven-year-old boy was a clear abuse of trust.

Hancock, of Upper Church Street, Oswestry, was jailed for a total of five years and six months for the offences which happened more than two years ago.

He has also been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.

Sharonjit Bahia, prosecuting, said Hancock had denied the rape allegation and a trial started in November last year, but he changed his plea to guilty before the victim, who was over 16, was called to give evidence.

She said the second offence involving the young boy, who was approaching his eighth birthday, happened before the rape victim had made a complaint to the police.

Miss Bahia said Hancock had initially denied sexually assaulting the boy while he was asleep in a bedroom at a house in the Oswestry area between September and December 2015.

He had been kneeling down and touching the boy over his clothing, and had claimed he was just ‘putting him to bed’ but later admitted the assault.

Saleema Mahmood, for Hancock, said her client had suffered an ‘horrific childhood’ and suffered post traumatic stress disorder which had led to him drinking to excess.

She said he was remorseful about his actions which had been ‘impulsive and shorted lived’ and had taken the opportunity, but had not set out to commit the offences.