A sexual predator who preyed on two young boys over a 13-year period has lodged an appeal against his 11-year prison sentence.

William Duggan, 35, was jailed in September this year after he was found guilty of 14 sexual offences.

His appeal against his sentence will be heard on January 20.

Duggan had denied five counts of gross indecency and nine of indecent assault against two boys - now adults – and put them through a gruelling trial.

He was just 10 years old when he began abusing one boy, when he was seven, in 2000 which lasted six years.

But Duggan then turned to another boy when he was 15 years old and carried on until he was 23. The victim was eight-year-old when the abuse began and was 16 when it ended.

Following a trial, the jury found Duggan guilty on July 8.

During sentencing on Wednesday, victim impact statements from the two men who had been abused as children were read out by prosecutor Roger Kane.

The first victim said: ‘William took my childhood away and abused my trust.

‘It is a life sentence, and I will never forget what he had done. I have flashbacks nearly every day and I have nightmares reliving what he has done.

‘It took me years to get the courage to report him to the police. I felt ashamed and embarrassed, but I should not have to feel that way, he should.’

In a statement read out in court the second victim also outlined a similarly devastating effect on his life.

He said: ‘William manipulated me for his own perverted sexual desires.

‘This has affected me severely and I have had suicidal thoughts. What happened to me was sexually depraved and twisted.’

‘I found the inner strength to go to the police as I knew people had to be protected from William.

‘But I found the flashbacks became more common and I struggled to sleep at night.

‘When the verdict came back, I broke down and a massive weight was lifted from my shoulders. The sentence he receives will never be enough in terms of what he did to me. He is nothing but a sexual predator.’

In mitigation, defence advocate Stephen Wood told the court his client’s extremely young age when he began offending should be taken into account and that he has no previous convictions.

Deemster Graeme Cook jailed Duggan for four years and six months in total for the offences relating to the first victim and six years six months for the offences relating to the second victim which will run consecutively to each other. He also imposed a sexual harm prevention order which will run indefinitely.