A man serving a seven-year prison sentence for gross indecency with a child, indecent assault and possessing indecent photographs has had his appeal refused.

Lewis Myles Bell, of Ballacollister Road in Laxey, was convicted of the offences in April last year after a trial before Deemster Moran at Douglas Courthouse.

The offences came to light in 2009, when his two victims were aged 12 and 14.

In his appeal, Bell claimed the girls had colluded and his advocate had failed to raise that in his defence.

Appeal Judge Tattersall and Deemster Doyle were told Bell had claimed to his advocate the two girls had invented their story, and because that hadn't been a main plank of the defence he had received an unfair trial.

But in evidence, his advocate told the court there had been no evidence to suggest any collusion or conspiracy in the case.

During the trial, both girls denied speaking to each other about the case and Bell himself denied believing there was any such plot.

The appeal was dismissed.