A MAN who formerly worked for Mersey Television has been jailed for three years for child abuse.

A jury found Kenneth Charnley guilty to five offences involving sexually abusing two young girls. He was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life and banned from working with children indefinitely.

Judge William George said that although "the victims have not exhibited the psychological disturbance which can result from such abuse the fact of the offences will remain with them for the rest of their lives".

When he announced the sentence 58-year-old Charnley, who has no previous convictions, rocked on his feet and sat on a chair in the dock.

He was convicted of four offences of indecent assault on one girl when she was aged between 8 - 15 and one offence of indecency with the other girl when she was seven.

The jury cleared him of ten other offences on the first girl, including rape, and nine offences on the other girl, including attempted rape.

During his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, which was a re-trial after an earlier jury had failed to reach verdicts, David Owen, prosecuting, said that beneath the middle-class veneer Charnley had a sexual propensity for young girls.

The court heard that Charnley, a visual engineer, of Dorchester Park, Prenton, Wirral, committed the offences in Anglesey and Rock Ferry.

The first victim, who is now 18, complained to police in October 2004 and following that the other girl, aged 16, also came forward.

Charnley, who worked in the production team of Brookside, denied all the offences and said there was no truth in any of the allegations.

John Benson, QC, defending, said: "He has lost his family, his job and good character. He has in every sense lost everything."