Ross man, Jonathan Corbett, has been sentenced to an indeterminate prison sentence after being found guilty of sexual offences including several counts of rape.

Detective Inspector Jon Roberts expressed his satisfaction after seeing 45-year-old Corbett found guilty of 24 sexual offences, including three counts of sexually assaulting a boy under the age of 13.

Having been convicted, Corbett - who is from Ross-on-Wye - was then handed an indeterminate prison sentence by the judge at Hereford Crown Court. It will be at least 10 years before he can even be considered for parole.

DI Roberts, who is based at Hereford Police Station, said: "We are satisfied with the verdict and are very pleased that Jonathan Corbett will now serve a significant custodial sentence. It is reassuring to know that he will now remain in prison for a considerable period of time and that the danger he posed has ended.

"This case was a complicated one to investigate and I cannot praise the victims highly enough for their bravery and determination during the course of our investigation. I would personally like to thank the victims and those that supported them for the patience and dignity they have shown through what has been a long and complex criminal justice process.

"I'd also like to place on record my appreciation to the officers in the investigating team who worked tirelessly on this case for over a year.

"While incidents of this nature remain rare I hope this conviction demonstrates that West Mercia Police are determined to investigate and catch those individuals responsible, no matter what walk of life they are from or what their background is.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who is suffering any form of abuse to come forward and report it to us, as we can only investigate offences that we know about. I can reassure victims that every report we receive is treated with the utmost seriousness and that the anonymity of each and every victim is guaranteed."

West Mercia Police can be contacted by calling 101 or 0300 333 3000, or alternatively Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111.