A 68-year-old former choir master who sexually abused two boys has been jailed for eight-and-half years.

Richard Lucas, of Victoria Road in Warmley, was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault on two boys. The offences happened in the 1980s and 1990s. He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court earlier yesterday (April 9).

Lucas met the victims through his position as choir master at the All Saints United Church in Longwell Green and also in his capacity as a private tutor.

Both of the victims were abused over the course of several months.

Investigating officer DC Clare Ball said: “Richard Lucas was calculating and used his position of trust to select boys he could manipulate and abuse.

“Both victims said the abuse they suffered robbed them of their childhoods, affected their education and continues to impact on them in their adult life.

“I’d like to thank both of them for the incredible resilience they’ve shown in reliving their ordeals and for supporting our investigation.

“I’d also like to thank the safeguarding lead at the church and our partner agencies for the support they’ve given us throughout this inquiry.

“No sentence will ever repair the emotional damage caused by these crimes but I hope both victims will be able to find some form of closure.”

Following the hearing, one of the victims released a statement.

He said: “This has been a long journey of burying my head in the sand and trying to live with the pain and hurt caused to me by Richard Lucas and a false belief that if I ignored the past, somehow the events never occurred.

“I want him to understand how his actions destroyed and damaged an impressionable child. However, in the end, this child became a man and found the strength to come forward.

“The abuse has affected my confidence, the relationship with my own son and my current relationship.

“But it’s important to understand that the individuals who hurt children in his way can be brought to justice, even though you may never completely heal from your ordeal.

“Today, I feel I can begin to rebuild my life somehow.

“I’d like to thank Avon and Somerset Police, including DC Clare Ball and DC Sandy Osborne. The police were on my side and I felt fully supported throughout the process and believed me from the beginning.”

If you have any information for the investigation team, please call DC Clare Ball on 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5217131857.