[A] former teaching assistant has today (Wednesday, July 5th) been jailed for 18 months after he was convicted of child sex offences.
David Billington, 47, of Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, was found guilty last week of nine counts of sexual assault on six female pupils, all aged 10 or 11 years old at the time of the abuse.
The abuse was carried out between 2012 and 2016 when Billington was a teaching assistant employed at St Anthony’s Primary School in Blackburn. He also engaged in conversations on social media with two of the victims.
Billington was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
Keith Hill, from Lancashire Constabulary’s Operation Fervent team, a unit set up by the Constabulary in January 2015 to investigate Historical Child sexual abuse, said: “We welcome the sentence today which reflects the gravity of these offences.
“These crimes displayed a gross breach of trust and were committed to satisfy David Billington’s own sexual gratification. The impact of these crimes on the victims cannot be overstated. All credit must be given to the girls who were brave enough to report the offences against them and carry it through to a full trial were they had to reiterate their allegations in court.
“Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to investigating allegations of this nature, no matter how historic, and no matter what the role, position and status of the alleged offender, and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and professionally.”
