A former school bus driver has been sentenced to nearly a quarter of a century after he reportedly called police and admitted to abusing young girls for decades.
Peter Long, 66, was sentenced to 24 years in prison after he was convicted of abusing four girls. Investigators believe the true number of victims may be around 30, as reported by the Mirror.
Long worked as a bus and cab driver in South Wales for decades before he reportedly called police on Nov. 15, 2023, and told dispatchers, "I'm a very large pedo. I need to be arrested," according to the Mirror.
"Before [police] arrived he dialed 999 again and said he had been abusing children for many, many years and should never have done it. He provided details and gave police names of his victims — he said there were lots of young children. He said he had been sexually abusing young children for 30 [to] 35 years," Prosecutor Ffion Thomas told Swansea Crown Court on Friday.
Thomas said four of the victims identified by Long confirmed to police that he was telling the truth. The former driver reportedly admitted to six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child under 13, as well as to 12 charges of indecent assault. His youngest victim was reported to be 7 years old at the time.
Judge Paul Hobson told Long at court that he will not be eligible for parole until he is 81, and he will be 90 by the time his license is finished.
Detective Constable Georgia Davies thanked the victims for working with police in the investigation, and encouraged any other possible victims of sexual crimes to come forward in a statement following the sentencing.
