A paedophile has been convicted of child sexual abuse against three victims spanning three decades.

Following a trial at Basildon Crown Court, Kevin Hawkins, 64, of Daines Road, Billericay, was convicted on Friday of 16 counts.

This included six counts of indecency with a child, eight counts of indecent assault, one count of rape and one count of taking an indecent image of a child.

He was cleared of two counts of indecency with a child and one count of rape.

The abuse involved three victims and spanned from the 1970s through to the early 2000s.

In 2021, one of Hawkins’ victims felt able to disclose the abuse she had suffered to Essex Police.

After this disclosure, further victims either came forward or were identified through further enquiries by the force's dedicated child abuse investigation team.

Hawkins is due to be sentenced at the same court on Friday 10 May.