8yrs in prison for man guilty of historic sexual offences

Merseyside Police can confirm that a 54-year-old man was sentenced to 8 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, 21 October, after being found guilty of a number of historic sexual offences.

Philip Gordon Knowles, from the Oasis del Sur area of Tenerife, was detained after a European Arrest Warrant was issued in April 2014.

He was taken to Madrid where officers from the Matrix Serious Organised Crime specialist Unity team brought him back to the UK.

He was subsequently charged with a number of historic sex offences and was found guilty earlier this week of four counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14 and eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16.

As well as being sentenced to eight years in prison he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is disqualified from working with children under the age of 16 years.

Detective Inspector Bev Hyland said: “Knowles is starting a long prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of a number of offences carried out over a ten year period between 1970 and 1980 whilst he was living in the St Helens area.

“His victims have shown an immense amount of bravery in coming forward and having to re-live the abuse they suffered at Knowles’ hands. I hope his sentencing gives them some sense of closure and also provides wider reassurance that a dangerous and determined sex offender is now behind bars.

“I would like to reassure anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse that any complaint will be taken extremely seriously and investigated by specially trained officers who will offer support every step of the way.

“I’d also like to thank officers and our partners in the Crown Prosecution Service for their dedication and commitment throughout what has been a long and complex investigation.”