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A former church choirmaster has been jailed for sexually abusing three boys in the 1970s and 1980s.

Robert Kalton, 82, sexually assaulted the children while he was working at a church in Leicestershire and Wiltshire, Leicestershire Police said.

He had moved to live in Portugal after the attacks and was arrested in 2013.

Kalton, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty of 15 child sex abuse offences at Leicester Crown Court and sentenced to nine years in prison.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life.

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Police said the victims were sexually abused at a church in Melton Mowbray and Trowbridge.

'Immense courage'

Officers received a report four years ago from a boy who claimed he had been sexually abuse by Kalton when he was 11 and 12 years old.

An investigation found two other victims were abused when they had attended choir practice.

Kalton was found guilty of four counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14 and 11 counts of indecent assault on a boy.

Det Con Steve Winterton said: "These awful crimes took place when the victims were young boys.

"They have lived with what happened to them for many years and no doubt the crimes committed on them have affected them ever since.

"All the victims have shown immense courage throughout the investigation and legal proceedings and it's their perseverance which has resulted in the conviction."