A HYNDBURN man who sexually abused two young girls has been jailed for seven years.
Preston Crown Court heard that one of Brian Tokarski's victims later developed medical problems, thought to be stress-related.
When accusations were made against him, he had begun working as a CCTV operator at Accrington Police Station.
Tokarski, who had served 23 years in the Army, was banned indefinitely from working with children and also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
The 55-year-old, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, was convicted at Burnley Crown Court in February of seven offences, consisting of five of indecent assault and two of indecency.
This week he additionally pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault at Preston Crown Court.
Miss Louise Blackwell, prosecuting, said that the defendant had told the girls words to the effect of "Do you like this?" while sexually abusing them in separate incidents.
Both girls had been under 16. One of them later developed considerable medical problems that were clearly stress-related.
She has needed counselling because of what she had experienced.
The offences against the two girls occurred some years apart. The court was told that one of the girls was told there would be trouble if she told anyone about what had happened.
Tokarski claimed at his trial that the girl had lied about what took place.
He had no previous convictions.
Defence barrister Mr Keith Thomas said Tokarski wanted to be dealt with as soon as possible, without an adjournment for a pre-sentence report, so that the agony would be over, particularly for others.
His guilty pleas had spared his victims the trauma of having to give evidence.
At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Engineers and served 23 years in the Army, becoming a staff sergeant.
He was awarded a good conduct and long service medal.
His discharge papers described the defendant as "exemplary".
After that he worked seven years for the Across Trust which transported terminally-ill children and adults on pilgrimages and holidays. He was an ambulance driver for the trust, showing great devotion and care in his work.
Back, neck and shoulder problems from an Army accident resulted in him having to stop work as a professional driver. He then worked in security and in 2003 began employment as a CCTV operator at Accrington Police Station.
Tokarski held that job until the allegations were made against him.
In February this year he was remanded into custody and had therefore been on remand for just over nine months.
Judge Robert Brown directed that Tokarski be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
He passed prison sentences which totalled seven years and disqualifed him from working with children for an indefinite period.
He also made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, the terms of which bar the defendant from having unsupervised contact with any person under 18 and undertaking any activity, paid, voluntary, or recreational, which might bring him into repeated contact with a person under 18.
