TWO victims spoke of their anger last night (Sunday, September 21) after a man who abused them as children walked free from court.

Anthony Thompson, 52, was a teenage boy when he harmed the girls in North Yorkshire in the 1970s.

The victims kept their ordeals a secret for decades until one of them saw Thompson with a child last year.

She described how the image immediately brought back her heartache - and a need to protect the youngster.

The police were contacted, and following an investigation, a second victim also gave details of her abuse.

Thompson admitted four charges of indecent assault when he was due to go on trial at Teesside Crown Court.

But the pervert was spared prison because he had to be sentenced under guidelines that existed at the time.

Had he been dealt with under current legislation, the former turkey factory worker could have faced four years.

The disparity - explained to his accusers before he was dealt with - has left the women hurt and angry.

One said: "It shouldn't matter when these things happen, they should be treated the same way. It is abuse."

The other added: "It's almost like the law saying 'Yes, we believe you, but it was a long time ago'."

Thompson, formerly from Easingwold, and now living in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, is a married grandfather.

He was supported at court by his wife and children.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told Thompson: "You will no longer be able to hold your head up as a man of good character, you no longer will be able to say 'I am a pillar of the community'.

"You denied this offending when you were questioned, and continued to deny it up until the day of the trial.

"They had the courage to come forward and they had the courage to tell the police what you had done to them.

"You showed little or no courage whatever and continued to be in denial for a substantial period of time.

"By your ultimate plea of guilty, you saved them the further and additional ordeal of giving evidence and being subjected to cross-examination."

Dan Cordey, mitigating, handed in three references, and told the court: "As an adult, he has led an exemplary life.

"He has lived a perfectly normal life, bringing up his family, working hard to provide for them, not causing any problems whatsoever in society."

Mr Cordey described it as "a difficult sentencing exercise", and prosecutor Simon Kealey told the court it was "a legal minefield" because of the changes.

"He was a boy and whilst it is a difficult task for any court to put themselves in the position of Anthony Thompson in those days, I would submit children were much less sophisticated then than in the 2000s, 2012, 2013, 2014.

"Children were much less worldly-wise than children of the same age today.

"I don't seek to belittle the offences in any way or downplay them, because they clearly had a serious effect upon the victims.

"These proceedings have had a significant effect upon him. He has lost his good character, and he has had to admit matters to his family, and he has to carry this stigma."

Thompson, of Hambleton Place, Thirsk, was given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years, and put on the sex offenders' register.

One of the victims said after the case: "The effect it has had on my life over the past 18 months has been horrendous.

"I have had to unlock all those little boxes where everything has been locked away for so long. It has been at the forefront of my mind, and I feel it has been belittled - the fact what he did did not even deserve one day in prison.

"It is a subject I had not discussed with anybody. The only person I have told in detail was the police officer when I was interviewed.

"I had to recall what happened as a child and vocalise it in grown-up words. It was a really hard experience to open up stuff that had been shut a away."

The other victim said: "Even though it happened years ago, and it has been brought to court now, he should have been sentenced under the regime that exists today. It is irrelevant how long ago it happened.

"My first thought when I saw that photograph him with the child was to protect the youngster. I had not seen him for 30 years, but all of a sudden he was a real person again."