A man has been jailed for more than twelve years after admitting to sexually abusing girls as young as seven in Norwich

A man has been jailed for more than twelve years after admitting to sexually abusing girls as young as seven in Norwich.

Robert Evans, known by many in the city as Bobby, admitted to raping a ten-year-old and a 16-year-old girl and physically assaulting two other women.

His campaign of sexual abuse and serious assaults lasted from 1988 to 2005.

Evans, 40, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced for his crimes.

He moved to the city from Northampton in the 80s, living in Silver Road, north Norwich, and Shorncliffe Road, but last year left for a new life in Lytham St Annes near Blackpool before being brought back by a police investigation.

Ian James, prosecuting, said that he had punched a city woman in the face and pulled her hair in an ordeal which the victim said 'felt as though it lasted for hours'.

Mr James added that another woman, years later, had a pillow held over her face so tightly that she passed out, and was also hit in the face.

The attack left the woman with a broken jaw and injuries that to this day stop her from eating hard foods.

Mr James said that Evans had displayed violent, domineering and aggressive tendencies towards woman and young girls.

Evans also pleaded guilty to several serious sexual assaults on a girl as young as ten, and others on a teenage girl.

Michael Clare, mitigating, said: 'There are no excuses for what Mr Evans has done.'

But he argued that Evans should be given credit for pleading guilty and be handed a reduced sentence.

Recorder Guy Ayers said that Evans had 'a violent character'.

'You appear to treat women and girls in an appalling way,' he said.

'You have no respect for them whatsoever.'

He sentenced Evans to a total of twelve and a half years for the rapes, sexual abuse and assaults. Evans was also placed on the sex offenders register and banned from working or living with children for life.

Det Con Peter Sayer, from Norfolk Constabulary's Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: 'The misery that Evans has caused has not only affected the victims but their families and his own family as well.'