A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of attacking a string of children, one as young as six.

Eric Adie, a 72-year-old amateur actor, also tried to rape a 10-year-old at his home in Drakes Way, Hatfield.

Guildford Crown Court heard Adie, who was a stalwart of his local dramatic society, led a sinister double life, abusing children in his former home town of Hatfield before moving on to Surrey.

Although the ex-serviceman and retired taxi driver refused to be cross-examined during his trial, he made his three – now grown-up – victims go through the trauma of re-living their harrowing ordeals in court.

One of his victims sobbed as she told the court she was only 10 when Adie invited her and her pal to his home on the pretext of taking his dogs out for a walk.

She said Adie stripped her and tried to rape her after luring her into his home.

She said she was forced to flee the house with practically no clothes.

Decades

Adie, now of Ash Grove, Fernhurst, West Sussex, denied the 10 charges of indecency with a child and one of attempted rape, which took place over a number of decades.

He looked shaken when the guilty verdicts were read out by the jury and judge Stewart sentenced him to 11 years behind bars.

Adie was ordered to be placed on the sex offenders’ register.