A paedophile who molested two young girls a decade ago has been jailed for nine and-a-half years.

Anthony Hartness, of Griggs Road, Leyton, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday after a jury last month found him guilty of five counts of indecent assault and two counts of assault by penetration. 

The 53-year-old started abusing the two girls when they were nine and 11 at his home in Woodford Green. 

The court heard he assaulted them while playing "rough and tumble" games, but escaped justice for 10 years as only one girl was prepared to testify at the time. 

The eldest of the two made a complaint and Hartness was interviewed by police in 2005.

One of the victims told the court she could not remember the first time Hartness attacked her because it had happened "so many times".

Hartness was only properly investigated in 2012 when the younger girl, now aged 19, made a police complaint. 

He was cleared of one count of attempted rape and indecent assault during the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in December. 

Jailing Hartness for nine years and six months, Judge William Kennedy, said: "Your behaviour caused enormous collateral damage. You have torn the families of [the victims] apart.

"It has been relayed by both the complainants in this case that you loved to spend time with them and play with them – that position changed when your assured familiarity with them became the taking of sexual liberties.

"You regularly put your hands down one of the girl's trousers, according to the victim that happened nearly every time she visited.

"Even a language as rich as ours struggles to express the disgust right thinking people have towards those who interfere with little children – they were two very different children and their distress whilst giving evidence was eloquent."