A MAN who assaulted a young girl while on holiday in Egypt 16 years ago has been jailed after her mother never gave up the fight for justice.

Kayley Howson was just one day away from her 11th birthday when she was sexually assaulted on a coach trip to see the Pyramids in 2000.

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Frank Dent, 73, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to the assault.

Police said Kayley’s mum Janet Mitchell helped re-start the investigation when she thought she spotted him on a TV programme recently.

Kayley, from Burnley, suffered from depression following the incident and committed suicide in 2008. An inquest later heard she had reported being sexually attacked again when she was 14.

Police said she was sat next to Dent across the aisle from her mother on the coach excursion when he assaulted her.

It was revealed that Dent had been assaulting her throughout the journey, according to police.

The incident was reported to the police when the family returned home but Dent was not found.

Mrs Mitchell had never stopped searching for Dent, police said, and years later thought she saw him on television and reported it to officers.

In fact, Mrs Mitchell was mistaken, but her action led to the case being re-opened.

Dent, of Lancresse Court, De Beauvoir Estate, London, was then identified and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in February this year.

He pleaded guilty to a historic offence of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14 years at Burnley Crown Court last week.

DC Ben Lyons said: “This is a tragic case involving the indecent assault of a young girl, a day before her 11th birthday, while she was supposed to be enjoying a trip on her family holiday.

“It is very sad that Kayley was not able to see Dent being brought to justice for what he did to her more than 16 years ago but I hope this case shows other victims of sexual abuse that we are committed to tackling the perpetrators, regardless of how long ago the offences took place.

“Although now Dent has finally been brought to account for his despicable actions which provides Kayley’s family with some form of closure, I am well aware that the outcome at court will in no way compensate Kayley’s family for their very sad loss and my thoughts remain with them at this time.”

Dent’s imprisonment has been hailed as ‘excellent’ by politicians who said that it must have been an ‘absolutely horrendous ordeal’ for the family to be put through.

Cllr Gordon Birtwistle, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Burnley Council, said: “It’s excellent news to hear this awful man has been caught and sentenced.

“However 12 months does seem like quite a short amount of time for what he did to that poor young girl.

“It’s a credit to the police officers involved that even though it was many years after it happened the man was found.

“It also shows that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed, these events cannot go unnoticed.”

Deputy leader Cllr John Harbour said: “It doesn’t matter if it happened 16 weeks ago or 16 years ago, it’s an absolutely horrendous ordeal to be put through.

“It’s some sort of closure for the family, but it’s an extremely saddening time for everyone who knew the young girl.”

Dent was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements for five years.