A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for 12 years for molesting two children in Wembley while their mother was in hospital.

The brother and sister, now in their 30s, came forward in 2007 to reveal the sexual abuse they had suffered at the hands of Stephen Pettican between 1978 and 1981.

Pettican was trusted to look after the children while their mother was ill in hospital, but he repaid that trust with what police have described as “systematic sexual abuse” which left the children traumatized.

The 54-year-old, now of St Austell, Cornwall, was charged with multiple counts of indecent assault, gross indecency, and having sex with children.

He stood trial in October last year, when a jury cleared him of two counts, but could not decide on the remaining 20.

Pettican stood trial again in January this year, and was convicted of 16 offences relating to the two children, and found not guilty of four.

Today, he was jailed for ten years for three counts of having sex with a boy, and two years on top of that for three counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14.

He also received concurrent two year jail terms for six counts of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 14, and for four counts of gross indecency.

Detective Sergeant Debbie Moore, of the Met’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, which was alerted following an allegation to Devon and Cornwall Social Services, praised the courage of the brother and sister in coming forward.

She said: "Stephen Pettican abused these two children who trusted him at a time they were vulnerable due to their mother's illness.

“He subjected them to systematic sexual abuse over a period of four years which left them traumatized, the effects of which they are still learning to live with to this day.

"I would like to thank them for having the courage to come forward with the information that has enabled Pettican to be convicted, and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to report it to police, however long ago it happened."

Pettican will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and has been banned from working, living or having contact with children