A FORMER children’s football team manager is starting a lengthy spell in prison today after being found guilty of a string of child sex offences.

John Taylor, of Malvern Close, Ipswich, had denied two counts of buggery, eight of indecent assault, three of gross indecency and one of taking indecent photos of a child. The charges relate to incidents which took place many years ago.

But the jury at Ipswich Crown Court unanimously found Taylor guilty of all counts at a hearing yesterday.

When sentencing Taylor, Judge David Goodin said Taylor’s victims had all suffered from the effects of his abuse, “abuse which would hard for anyone to forget”.

The 62-year-old was sentenced to 15 years for each offence of buggery, five years for each count of indecent assault, two years for each count of gross indecency and two years for the offence of taking indecent photo. Judge Goodin ordered the sentence to run concurrently, meaning Taylor will serve 15 years – half of which will be spent in prison and the latter half on licence.

Taylor was also ordered to comply with an indefinite sexual offences protection order, with conditions that he is to have no contact with children under the age of 18 unless supervised by another adult responsible for the child. The order also means that he can not reside with any child under 18 whether it be temporary or permanent, unless approved by social services.

Judge Goodin said: “This is not a straight forward sentencing exercise.

“These are the most grave offences, independently of the fact that these offences come hard on the heels of your convictions in the crown court in Bury St Edmunds in 1982 for similar offences.”

He explained that one of Taylor’s victims had ended up involved in drugs, in criminal courts and custodial institutions.

He added: “I make it plain to the courts he (one of the victims) made his own path in life but there is no doubt in this matter that the path was followed due to his anger and inability to deal with the abuse.”

TAYLOR was arrested in October 2010 after a complaint was made to police following events which took place many years ago.

During the trial the court had heard that on one occasion, Taylor invited two young boys to play strip poker with him and of them had ended up naked.

One of the victims claimed to have walked into a room and found a boy lying naked, apart from a balaclava over his head and Taylor holding a camera.

In 1982, Taylor was convicted at Bury St Edmunds Crown Court of three charges of indecency with a child and one of indecent assault on a male child relating to a group of young Scouts.

When he gave evidence, Taylor said that following his conviction in 1982 he had been very careful around children.

He said he had been open with players and parents when he started a children’s football team.