CHILD protection charity the NSPCC has spoken out in support of two sex abuse victims from Barrow.

This week paedophile Scott Webb was jailed for more than eight years after pleading guilty to four counts of sexual assault and two charges of assault by penetration on two girls.

The offences date back to 2007 when the two sisters were aged six and eight.

The older sibling, Liam, who has since begun transitioning to a male, has taken the brave step to speak out publicly about his ordeal in a bid to encourage other victims of sex offences.

Both he and his sister waited more than a decade for their attacker to be charged.

In 2007 and in 2015 the Crown Prosecution Service twice decided there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of a conviction but after the family launched an appeal he was finally brought to justice.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Liam and his sister have shown extraordinary courage in facing their vile abuser in court and his sentencing has only been possible because of their determination to see justice served.

"We hope that both can find the comfort and closure they need in order to rebuild and to allow them to live their lives to the fullest.

“We know that child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting effects and it is imperative that victims are given all the support they need to move forward in their lives.”

The NSPCC runs a service, called Letting The Future In, which helps children who have been sexually abused to rebuild their lives.