A former stage manager at the Wyvern Theatre who groomed and abused two vulnerable girls at the theatre has been jailed for 10 years.

David Wicks, who a judge said ‘showed a woeful lack of remorse’ molested the girls, starting when they 14 years old, in the dressing room at the town centre establishment.

And the 56-year-old even went on to have a full sexual relationship with one of his victims when she was 15, though he claims she was 16 by then, behind his wife’s back.

Pushpanjali Gohil, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how he carried out the repeated abuse on the girls, between 1995 and 2001.

She said he was in his mid thirties when he started the abuse by kissing one of the girls after taking her to see some rabbits during an after show party at the theatre.

He sexually abused the girls, on separate occasions years apart, in the changing rooms and carried on with the second child at his home.

Miss Gohil said the offences against the first girl took place between July 1995 and July 1997 and the other between January 1999 and January 2001.

“He was the stage manager. He was involved in the theatre management and stage management,” she said.

“He had a responsibility by virtue of his position for the safety of the children who were attending.

“There were various instances of sexual assault.

“In essence the Crown says that Mr Wicks used his position of trust, his age, his authority, to groom these girls in to what he terms a consensual sexual relationships.

“The fact is, by virtue of their age they could not consent. Now there is no suggestion of force as each of the complainants has set out.

“It was classic grooming. He was targeting vulnerable young girls, he was aware of their mental health difficulties.

“He used that position to organise rendezvous with both of them.”

She said the two victims suffered many psychological issues as a result of what they were put through.

Wicks, now of Westergate, near Chichester, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

Between July 1995 and July 1997 he kissed and molested a girl aged 14 or 15 in at least four occasions.

Then from January 1999 to January 2001 he carried out similar activities on another girl at the theatre on more than 10 occasions and then at his home.

The court heard he had no previous convictions but was dismissed from a job in 2014 for gross misconduct over sexual advances to an adult female.

Rob Ross, defending, said “Whilst he is entitled to say it happened a long time ago, it still happened and he has to be punished for that today.”

He said his client hand contributed greatly to the artistic landscape of Swindon with his theatre and charity work.

Mr Ross said he has a long term partner, had not been in trouble before or since and did not accept the grounds for his sacking four years ago.

Although Wicks initially pleaded not guilty Mr Ross said he spared the victims having to go through the ordeal of giving evidence at trial.

“I feel certain that what has happened today will assist those two women now in their long term recovery,” he said.

Jailing him Judge Robert Pawson said “In you pre-sentence report, which I have read carefully, you describe the activities as consensual. There is no concept of consent with children, because they can’t consent. The law protects the children of this country not only from those who do and would abuse them but also from themselves.

“You said you thought they were 16 years old and a chemistry existed between you. That shows an utter lack of remorse and a lack of insight in to your behaviour. You were, as the probation officer says, minimising your behaviour.

“You view is these were no more than mad moments: something that is contradicted by the period over which you perpetrated these offences and frequency of them.

“You say the CPS has embellished the effect of these offences on the victims. That shows a woeful lack of remorse on your behalf.”

Allegations that he kissed and molested another underage girl will not be pursued and will lie on file with other matters he denied.

Wicks must register as a sex offender for life and will also have to abide by a sexual harm prevention order.