THE bravery of victims of ‘creepy abuser’ Nigel Samuel have been praised by the police.

DC Tina Worthington said: ‘Nigel Samuel groomed his victims and then took the opportunity to exploit them.

‘The offences involved three victims, and all were at a young and vulnerable age at the time of the offences.

‘I would like to thank the victims for their incredible bravery in coming forward and reporting this to us.

‘We hope this sentencing can provide them with a sense of closure.

‘We would like to urge anyone suffering in silence to come forward.

‘It is never too late to report a crime and as this case shows, we are committed to supporting survivors of sexual abuse and will do everything we can to seek justice.’

‘If you require help or assistance relating to sexual abuse, please look at the below list of helplines.

► WHERE TO GET HELP:

► National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999

► Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626

► Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212

► Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900

► Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174

In an emergency always call 999 and in a non-emergency please visit www.dc.police.uk/contact.