The victim of a perverted pensioner who sexually abused her for several years hopes he will die in prison.

Malcolm Cooper routinely abused the child whenever he had the opportunity and his offending only came to light when the victim realised his sexualised behaviour was wrong as she got older.

The girl’s father told Teesside Crown Court how they are now scared to enter their daughter’s bedroom in case they found her dead.

The widowed pensioner’s victim read out a heartbreaking statement as she faced her abuser again after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting her.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “I cannot express how much hate I have towards him. I hope he will stay in prison for the rest of his life.”

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said that the elderly man had sexually abused the young girl for several years and would give her gifts before asking for ‘rewards’.

He added: “The defendant would sexually assault whenever the opportunity arose when he was alone with her.”

The court heard how the young victim became aware she was being abused as she got older and spoke out when the defendant tried to ‘escalate’ his abuse by taking her to his home.

Mr Dodds added: “She cried and told the defendant that she knew what he was doing was wrong. She refused to go into his house because she knew what he was doing – he was planning to escalate the sexual abuse.”

The Northern Echo: Malcolm CooperMalcolm Cooper (Image: Durham Constablary)

Cooper, of Pasture Row, Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was found guilty of several offences including one of sexual assault on a child.

Victoria Lamballe, mitigating, urged the judge the spare her client from immediate custody due to his age and failing health.

She added: “His family are utterly devastated by his conviction. There’s a very different side this elderly man.”

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Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed Cooper for a total of five years for the child sex abuse of the young girl after his ‘seedy comments’ about his victim convinced the jury of his guilt.

“There have been some elements of grooming but by and large this has been opportunistic offending by you. The offences were individually short-lived but were repeated time and time again,” he said.

“This was a very unpleasant case where you put this young girl through a considerable ordeal which will have long-lasting consequences.”

Cooper, 84, was made subject of an indefinite restraining order; an indefinite sexual harm prevention order; and told to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.