A man whose "cruel and wicked" sexual abuse of two young girls "robbed" them of precious childhood memories has been jailed for 22 years.

Suleyman Sahin, 59, appeared for sentence having been found guilty of nine offences against two victims over an eight-year period in Norwich and Nottinghamshire.

The offences against the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, took place between 2009 and 2017.

Sahin appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentence on Monday (November 28) after a jury took 17 hours and 43 minutes to find him guilty of two rapes and a sexual assault against one victim and two attempted rapes, three sexual assaults and an assault by penetration against another victim.

Jailing him, Judge Andrew Shaw said the sexual abuse of children was a "cruel and wicked" offence.

He said "formative sexual experiences are part of a child's right of passage" looked back upon by adults as "precious memories".

But Judge Shaw said the victims were "robbed of these precious memories" by Sahin who he insisted had been "living a lie" and was "not the man your family and friends thought you were".

Before Sahin, of Middlesex, was sentenced the court heard victim statements read out by prosecutor Duncan O'Donnell.

He described how one finds it "difficult to put into words the damage Suleyman has done to me over the years".

She said that due to the things he had done "I'm scared someone else will do the same to me" adding "I'm terrified of people at times".

The victim said she has had suicidal thoughts since the offending, and said her experiences had made her "fear people, particularly men".

Another victim said "no-one believed what I was saying" when she first reported the abuse and has "found it hard to trust people as a result".

She said: "I don't feel like the same person anymore because of what he's done."

Nicola May, representing Sahin, who required a Turkish interpreter, said he knew he was facing a "lengthy" custodial sentence.

She said his employers spoke highly of him while references she provided to the court also spoke of his "positive good character" in the past.

Sahin was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) indefinitely as well as being ordered to sign on the sex offenders register indefinitely.