A PROMINENT county businessman has been jailed for two years after he was convicted of a string of sex offences against a vulnerable young girl.

Edward Roberts, aged 72, of Grafton Flyford, near Worcester, was found guilty of two counts of indecency with a child and two counts of indecent assault after a seven-day trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The founding chairman of the National Training and Enterprise Council committed the offences against the girl in south Buckinghamshire more than 30 years ago.

The abuse started when she was just 12 years old.

Roberts, who was awarded the CBE in 1991 for services to industry, is a former CBI West Midlands regional chairman and was previously chairman and chief executive of Redditch-based Peterson Spring UK – a global supplier to the automotive industry.

He also worked for recruitment agency Pertemps and was treasurer of St John the Baptist Church in Grafton Flyford.

Sentencing Roberts, Judge Joanna Cutts QC told him: “You used every moment of stolen time when your family were elsewhere.

“The abuse was regular and whenever you saw her you took your opportunity.

“She made clear in her evidence she adored you and the attention you gave her and didn’t believe she was being abused, but abuse it was. The fact it wasn’t forced is of limited mitigation. You took advantage of that young girl’s vulnerability.

“She’s been affected throughout her life by what you did.”

Judge Cutts said she had to sentence Roberts using guidelines that were in place at the time the offences were committed. She said the maximum sentence then was five years’ imprisonment – today it is ten.

Roberts, who had no previous convictions, was jailed for a total of two years for the offences, half of which will be served on licence.

Rev Clive Fairclough vicar of St John the Baptist Church declined to comment.