A "DESPICABLE" child rapist has been convicted of 20 counts of historical sexual abuse.

David Weightman, 55, of Linkway, Salisbury, was found guilty of repeated sexual assault as well two counts of raping a child and three counts of attempted rape.

Wiltshire Police praised the victims for coming after a jury at Swindon Crown Court convicted Weightman yesterday.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Helen Clarke said: “Weightman has shown no remorse for his despicable actions and his not guilty plea meant that his victims had to relive their horrific ordeals once again.

“I would like to praise the four victims in this case who have shown an incredible amount of bravery and courage in not only coming forward and reporting this abuse to police, but also in standing in court to give evidence. I cannot imagine how difficult this would have been after so many years of trying to rebuild their own lives. Without their cooperation, we would never have reached this stage.

“I am confident that the sentence handed out next week will reflect the seriousness of this case and will help highlight just how seriously Wiltshire Police takes reports of sexual abuse, regardless of how much time has since passed.”

Weightman is due to be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, May 27.

After the verdict Wiltshire Police encouraged victims of abuse to report it by calling 101 or contacting the Swindon Assault Referral Centre (SARC) on 0808 168 0024. The helpline is available 24 hours a day.