Paedophile school caretaker jailed for abusing two young girls

A former school caretaker who sexually abused two young girls over a six-year period and was found with hundreds of indecent images has been jailed.

Dennis Wakefield, 58, assaulted the children on separate occasions between April 2016 and June 2022.

Douglas Courthouse heard the girls were aged between five and eight at the time of the abuse and one of the victims said she now had panic attacks.

He was sentenced to five years and eight months.

Wakefield was caught with 568 indecent images on his phone, laptop, iPad, and hard drive.

The court heard the abuse was uncovered after one of the victims made comments during a lesson at school about body parts that prompted a teacher to report concerns.

Wakefield, of Snugborough Avenue in Union Mills, was identified as the abuser and arrested.

A search of his home found the images, which were of different children, some of which dated back to April 2014.

During questioning he denied the abuse and, while he admitted to accessing adult pornography, he refuted having any interest in young girls.

He later pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency with a child, two counts of indecent assault against a child, and six counts of possessing indecent images of children.

The court heard the 58-year-old had also served as a Special Constable for 12 years and worked with the Army Cadets.

His defence advocate said he had had a "spectacular fall from grace", and now accepted his actions had been "reprehensible".

In a video played to the court, one of the victims said Wakefield was an "awful man".

She said she now suffered from panic attacks and got worried whenever she saw "an old man with a bald head" in case it was him.

Sentencing Wakefield, Deemster Graeme Cook said the victims had been "put through experiences no child should ever experience".

"You took away the innocence of these young girls, one can only hope they'll get over it," he said.

Wakefield was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, and on release he must notify the authorities before any travel.

He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his contact with children and access to electronic devices and the internet.

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