A BASINGSTOKE man has been jailed for an assault on a teenager 20 years ago.

Ian Kendal Johnson was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail on Friday at Winchester Crown Court, after being found guilty of one count of indecent assault.

The assault on a then 17-year-old girl happened between September 30 and November 1 1998 in Basingstoke at the Viables Industrial Estate.

Johnson, 59 and of Abbey Road, Basingstoke, had been found not guilty of three further charges of indecent assault, after a seven-day trial in September and October.

These offences were said to have taken place in Pamber Heath and Basingstoke, with the same victim and between the same dates.

Speaking after the sentencing, a Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said: “We take all reports of this nature very seriously, no matter how much timed has passed.

“We have specialist officers who can help make the process of reporting as simple as possible and we work with our partner agencies to ensure that those reporting are aware of all the support available to them.

“We will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to report it to us on 101.”