A former Bradford binman has been jailed for 22 years for raping and sexually abusing young girls over a 20 year period.

Gordon Tidswell, 63, showed no emotion as he was led to the cells at Bradford Crown Court after a jury convicted him of 21 offences, including rape, attempted rape and indecent assault.

Tidswell, who lived in the Wyke area of Bradford in the 1980s, had an address in Bridlington when he was arrested.

He abused four girls when they were aged between seven and 15, molesting them while giving piggy back rides and in his car.

He told one child he was "doing her a favour" after he raped her when she was aged 14 or 15.

Tidswell was found guilty after a lengthy trial of three offences of rape, two of attempted rape and 16 counts of indecent assault.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told the jury Tidswell was a persistent and predatory sexual abuser.

Yesterday, she said: "All the complainants have been significantly affected by what happened to them at the hands of Gordon Tidswell."

Judge David Hatton QC ordered Tidswell to sign on the sex offenders' register for life and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order bans him from any unsupervised contact with children.

One girl was so terrified after Tidswell abused her that she locked herself in a toilet to escape him.

Judge Hatton said the girls had been defiled and all were left permanently damaged.

"Each one of your victims suffered emotionally and psychologically. They continue to so suffer.

"You took advantage of their vulnerability without the slightest care and without the slightest remorse.

"You took away their innocence and joy of childhood for your perverted gratification," Judge Hatton said.

After the case, Detective Constable Simon Ridewood, of the Calderdale District Safeguarding Unit, said: "Tidswell took advantage of his victims' young ages and their vulnerability to carry out a series of sex attacks on them.

"We would like to thank them for their courage in coming forward and hope today's sentence will give them some closure, so they can move forward with their lives.

"We also hope it will encourage other victims to speak to our specially trained officers, who will investigate every report thoroughly and sensitively, with the aim of securing convictions against offenders."

Victim urges others to speak out

A survivor of Gordon Tidswell's vile sexual abuse has spoken out publicly to encourage other child abuse victims to speak to the authorities.

In the early 1980s Dawn Wilson was a nine-year-old schoolgirl living in Wyke, Bradford when Tidswell, her uncle by marriage, started to abuse her.

It went on for another three years.

Mrs Wilson, 42, has now bravely waived her right to anonymity to urge others to come forward.

Yesterday, after seeing Tidswell jailed for 22 years, she branded him a "sick" and "slimy" man who had taken away her childhood.

"I have always believed in karma - what goes around comes around - and even though it has taken 30 years, justice has prevailed.

"Although it has been tough, you can't let them get away with it. The police have been very understanding and so helpful. You cannot let the abusers win."

Giving evidence from the witness box had been tough but worth it in the end, said the mother-of-two.

"I was asked (by his barrister) if I was doing it for compensation. I was doing it for justice."

Mrs Wilson was 15 when she first disclosed what had happened to her but police couldn't find enough evidence to bring a prosecution, she said.

Several relatives did not believe her, she felt threatened and had to move away from West Yorkshire.

She hasn't spoken to any of them since but remains close to her mother who always stood by her.

In 2013, other victims of Tidswell came forward and Mrs Wilson gave another statement to police after they had tracked her down.

"It has now been proven what he is, so hopefully now they (relatives who do not believe her) can see what he is. I told the truth then and I am telling the truth now.

"He took my childhood, he took my innocence and he took my family and I will never get that back."

Watching Tidswell jailed gave her a great sense of relief, she said.

"Now it's over, I can move on with my life and concentrate on my own family. My mum is a worrier but when I tell her he got 22 years she will be over the moon and will be able to sleep at night."

"I'm glad it's over and I'm glad he's got jail time. I can move on now."

She urged others to take a stand against child sexual abuse.

"They must not get away with doing it. I encourage people to come forward so it is no longer a taboo subject. I would say 'be strong and do the right thing'."