Burnley man jailed for abusing girls under 12 and telling them to 'keep quiet'

A man named Malcom Smith, 57, formerly residing on Ellis Street in Burnley, has been convicted of sexually assaulting three young girls aged under 12 years between 1991 and 1996, when he was aged 25 to 30. He previously pleaded not guilty to charges including sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault of children in November 2020, but later changed his plea to guilty in 2022. His abuse took place at his flat in Burnley and at other locations like his van. The victims, who were aged seven to 12 at the time, reported Smith to the police in 2018, and their statements revealed lasting psychological harm, including nightmares, depression, and self-harm. One victim recounted being given £5 to keep quiet, and another said she began to drink heavily because of the abuse. Smith has a history of similar offenses, including a 2018 conviction for sexually assaulting a girl under 13, which resulted in a community order, and a 1986 conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, for which he received a suspended sentence. During sentencing at Preston Crown Court, Judge Knowles KC described Smith as someone lacking remorse and concern for his victims, stating, 'The blame lies on you and only you.' Smith was sentenced to ten years in prison for three counts of sexual assault, one involving penetration, and an additional year on license. He will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely and is prohibited from entering properties or being in the company of girls under 16 without the consent of their guardians.