Latest Offenders Lincolnshire

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A 34-year-old sex offender who posed a ‘serious danger’ to young girls has been captured by police.

Ryan Bufton was a wanted man after failing to comply with his sex offender notification requirements following his release from prison.

With his whereabouts unknown, a police search was launched and an appeal issued warning that he should not to be approached.

The public were asked to report any immediate sightings to 999 and Lancashire Police believed he might have travelled to the Blackpool area.

“Just to update you, Bufton was arrested in Lincolnshire yesterday.

“Thank you to everybody who shared and supported our appeal.”

He was jailed for three and a half years in 2017 after preying on a 15-year-old runaway who he plied with alcohol and took advantage of in a woodland area.

Bufton was arrested and pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child aged under 16.

He also has previous convictions for sex offences dating back to his own teenage years.

At his sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd described Bufton as posing a ‘serious danger’ to young girls and sentenced him to 40 months in prison, with an extra three years on licence.

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A sex offender previously jailed for getting girls to send him naked photos is back behind bars after he failed to notify the authorities he was in a new relationship with a partner who had two young children.

Rhys Lynn, 27, was jailed for 16 months after he admitted failing to notify the police of his new partner’s address and breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on four occasions.

Lynn, formerly of Hawthorn Avenue, Cherry Willingham, and now of The Quays, Gainsborough, was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment at Lincoln Crown Court in February 2019.

In addition to his jail term, Lynn was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

Those orders required Lynn to notify the authorities if he began a relationship which put him in possible contact with children or if he was staying at a new address.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Lynn started working at a chicken factory in Gainsborough and began a relationship with a woman who had two young children around a year after he was released from prison.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said Lynn did not disclose his offending to the woman and on occasions would act as a babysitter for the children and stay at their address.

There were also other child visitors to the property, and Lynn also visited a friend who had a teenage daughter, Miss Bradley told the court.

Lynn was arrested after the authorities became aware of the contact.

During interview he admitted failing to disclose his new relationship to his risk offending manager and the Probation Service because he was happy.

Neil Sands, mitigating, said Lynn had been successfully co-operating with the Probation Service for a year after his release from prison before this new relationship began.

Mr Sands told the court Lynn’s best mitigation was his early guilty plea and candour with the police.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight made it clear there was no evidence of further sexual offending.

But the Judge told Lynn: “I understand the desire for happiness, but you have a history others do not.”

Lynn’s sentence hearing in 2019 was told he posed as a teenager and also threatened his victims that he would distribute images of them that he had already obtained if they did not send him even more.

That hearing was told the five girls involved, one of whom was only 12, were left badly affected by their contact with Lynn over the internet with a number of them having to undergo counselling.

One later told police that her chances of success in her A levels had been completely wrecked by him.

Lynn had set up accounts on sites such as Instagram and Snapchat using fictitious names claiming he was a teenage boy, his original sentence hearing was told.

Four of the girls sent him naked photographs of themselves and Lynn also sent sexual images of himself to them

Before being sentenced in 2019 Lynn admitted five charges of causing or inciting exploitation of a child, two charges of causing a child to watch a sexual act, a further charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three charges of making a total of 1,218 indecent images of children.

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Ridgway, 21, shared 30,000 images and videos with fellow paedophiles.

A man has been jailed for six years and three months for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl and sharing videos of the abuse online. Keenan Ridgway, 21, became the subject of a National Crime Agency investigation in August 2021, after he sent the material to another offender who was arrested in Miami.

After matching the images and videos to those that were uploaded to a file-sharing platform in 2018, NCA investigators identified Ridgway as the user behind that account. He was arrested by NCA officers at his home in Skegness and his phone was seized. This was analysed and was confirmed to be a match for the phone that was used to create the abuse material, and from which the platform had been accessed several times in 2018.

The phone had recorded Ridgway's journey on the night a number of the videos were created. This is consistent with him going to the location where the abuse took place. Officers also recovered a number of items of Ridgway’s clothing, glimpses of which could be seen in the abuse videos.

The file-sharing app was downloaded on his phone and showed that in total, Ridgway had uploaded 450gb of material, which amounted to almost 30,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) in categories A-C. 42 of these were of the young girl.

A further 355 IIOC were also recovered from his phone.

Email records showed that prior to committing the abuse, Ridgway told another online user that he had sent all the videos he had, but promised he would be “making new soon so you’ll be the first person to be sent them”.

Ridgway was charged with 16 offences, including three counts of sexual assault of a child, three counts each of taking and possessing IIOC, six counts of distributing IIOC, and possession of prohibited imagery.

He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court to six years and three months in prison. He has been placed on the sex offenders register for life and is also subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Martin Ludlow from the National Crime Agency said: “His actions have caused trauma to those involved, the impact of which may be felt long after he has served his sentence.

“The NCA has the niche capabilities to identify high-risk offenders like Ridgway who pose a sexual threat to children and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure they are identified and brought to justice.”

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A man has been jailed for producing hundreds of sick photographs of children. Andrew Kelsall, 31, of Boston Road, Sleaford, was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, February 16.

Kelsall made and distributed over 700 child sex abuse material, some of which are described as "extreme pornographic images." He also planned to meet with who he believed was a child under 10-years-old and her mother to commit sexual acts.

It later transpired that Kelsall had unknowingly been talking to a man in Scotland. Kelsall was found to be in possession of 70 Category A images and videos, 15 Category B and 34 Category C images.

He was also found to be in possession of 679 extreme images and one prohibited pornographic image. He was jailed for the following offences:

• Arrange / facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.
• Make indecent photograph of a child – Category A.
• Make indecent photograph of a child – Category B.
• Make indecent photograph of a child – Category C.
• Possess a prohibited image of a child.
• Possess extreme pornographic image/images portraying an act of intercourse /oral sex with a dead / alive.
• Distribute an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child.

Detective constable Nicola Paradowski from Lincolnshire Police's Paedophile Online Team, said: "After receiving a referral from Police Scotland regarding Andrew Kelsall and the shocking nature of his activities, we immediately launched an investigation to get a dangerous offender off our streets. This case is a great example of cross-border policing and a message to people out there that we will be relentless in our pursuit of those suspected of this type of offence.

"We take all reports of this nature incredibly seriously and Lincolnshire Police is committed to keeping children safe from harm." A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: "Kelsall will be added to the Sex Offenders Register and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

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A sex offender who failed to attend court on the last day of his trial was today (Thursday) jailed for three years.

James Wray, 43, was convicted in his absence of two charges of sexual assault against a child by the jury at Lincoln Crown Court.

Wray, formerly of Quadring Road, Donington, was later remanded in to custody to await his sentence hearing.

He was unanimously convicted of the offences, which took place between 2015 and 2018, during a three day trial before Christmas.

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting, told the hearing Wray’s victim, who can not be named for legal reasons, had made an impact statement which was provided to the sentencing judge.

Karen Walton, mitigating, told the court Wray had been abusing alcohol and had never previously shown any deviant behaviour towards children.

Miss Walton said Wray simply “panicked” on the final day of his trial, and had now spent over two months in prison.

“He is on a wing and has a job but he wants the chance to work with probation,” Miss Walton added.

“In his own words ‘he would dedicate himself to it’ as he wants the help,” Miss Walton added.

Passing sentence Judge James House KC told Wray: “These offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Judge House said it was clear Wray’s victim had suffered “enormous pain and confusion.”

Wray was also sentenced to seven days imprisonment for the offence of failing to attend his trial which will run alongside his three year sentence.

Police said the charges were brought on June 10, 2021, following a thorough investigation by officers in the Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) unit.

The investigation was launched following an allegation by the victim who came forward in 2020.

Detective Inspector Lee Nixon from PVP, said: “The courage of the victim to come forward and report these crimes should not be underestimated, and I want to thank them for taking that brave step.

“This case demonstrates that we will take reports seriously regardless of when the abuse occurred. I am really pleased with the verdict, and while no court outcome can ever undo the suffering at the hands of the predator involved, I hope that the victim can now feel they have received justice.”

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The charity Action for Children is reportedly suing a sex offender who lived in Lincolnshire and preyed on young girls in a children’s home in North Yorkshire.

Maurice Berry, 67, was jailed for 13 years in 2019 after a trial at York Crown Court, which heard that he “preyed on” victims at May Lodge Children’s Home in Scarborough, where he was the deputy manager.

He lived in North Somercotes in Lincolnshire before he was jailed.

Berry, who is now serving his sentence at HMP Moorland near Doncaster, is said to have climbed into their beds at night and touched them, exposed himself to them, and also tried to rape one of the little girls, according to the Daily Mail.

Berry was arrested at his home in Lincolnshire after one or more of the victims came forward to police on 2017.

After his conviction, the two younger victims, who are now grown women, claimed damages for personal injury against Action for Children, formerly called the National Children’s Home, saying it was “liable for Berry’s offence”.

The charity is now trying to get back nearly £160,000 in compensation and legal fees from Berry, according to the Daily Mail. The report states that the charity has tried to seek agreement with Berry but he has “failed to engage” so it has taken court action as a last resort.

The Lincolnite contacted Action for Children for a statement, but the charity said it is a legal matter and it has no further comment to make at this time.

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A sex offender who groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl has been put behind bars.

Thomas Timson, 36, took advantage of a schoolgirl by befriending her and buying her presents.

He paid the girl compliments to win her confidence before abusing her on multiple occasions between October 2019 and April 2020.

Timson, of Kirton, near Newark, was jailed for three years when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (January 20).

He was convicted after a trial on four counts of engaging a girl in sexual activity.

Detective Sergeant James Robinson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Timson’s behaviour was manipulative and predatory. He knew exactly what he was doing when he chose to befriend a young, vulnerable girl.

“His actions were completely reprehensible and caused the child unimaginable emotional damage.

“I’d like to mention the bravery of the child in this case in speaking to officers and helping expose Timson for his appalling crimes.

“By lying about his abuse this case went to trial and put the victim through even more pain.

“I’m pleased that the jury saw through his lies and he is now serving a custodial sentence for his actions.”

Timson met the girl after being introduced to her in July 2019 and was fully aware of her age.

After gaining her confidence, Timson began buying the girl clothes as well as transferring money into her bank account and taking her on shopping trips and to restaurants.

During police interviews, the girl said Timson was throwing money at her.

He asked her to send sexually explicit pictures of herself and sent her inappropriate messages before engaging the girl in sexual activity.

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A twisted Snapchat predator from Lincolnshire has been jailed after grooming, abducting and having sex with a schoolgirl.

Daniel Potterton from Kirton, Boston, targeted the 14-year-old girl in June before luring her into a string of sexual acts which lasted a number of weeks.

The 20-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court and told he must sign the sex offenders register. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life and subject to an indefinite restraining order.

Potterton randomly added the girl on Snapchat in June and began chatting with her. Her parents ended up confiscating her phone after becoming concerned about the contact and she reacted by causing damage to their home while shouting and swearing and they contacted police, reports Chronicle Live.

Potterton drove to South Tyneside and contacted the girl from near her home and she went out with him in his Vauxhall Corsa, turning off the GPS on her phone. The girl, who was a virgin, had sex with him in the car.

She was reported missing by her parents and when she returned home she had love bites and was described as "obsessed" with him and refused to cooperate with a medical examination, saying she believed she was in a relationship with him.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the girl also texted her parents asking if she could go away with him for 10 days but they refused. She also said she needed her passport to go to France and "didn't appear to think there was anything wrong with her having sex with him.

Glenn Gatland, prosecuting, said: "He said he was going to prison anyway so he might as well do it again." Police saw the defendant's car crossing Wearmouth Bridge on August 2 and the girl was in the car with him and he was arrested.

In a victim impact statement, the girl's mother said: "It has caused me to feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown, I feel weighed down and I feel like a zombie.

"Her behaviour has turned manic since I found out she was speaking to him. She doesn't care about the danger as long as she can be with him.

"We have taken her phone off her and she is always searching for it. She will do anything and everything to get what she wants.

"She has turned the whole family's world upside down. I feel broken and all our hearts are breaking. She thinks she can do what she wants and calls me an idiot when I try to educate her."

Her dad added: "We have had to put locks on every door except the bathroom. Every time we leave the house we have to lock every room and it feels like a prison. If we don't, she would search everywhere to get hold of bank cards or phones."

Potterton, of Dennis Estate, Boston, pleaded guilty to child abduction, two counts of sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming.

On a second occasion, Potterton drove back up to the North East and the girl went to meet him again. When her mother discovered she was not in her room in the early hours, police were contacted. She then came home at 5am.

Judge Christopher Prince said: "(The girl) bears a deep resentment (to her parents) notwithstanding their efforts to do everything they can to try to help. The effect on them has been profound and distressing. They are quite simply utterly at their wits end at their inability to do more to help her.

"You were fully aware of what you were doing and fully aware you were breaking the law yet you took the most cynical view that as you were going to prison anyway you would engage in sexual intercourse with her a second time."

Steven Reed, defending, said Potterton was of previous good character and said immaturity contributed to his offending.

After the case, Detective Sergeant Jodie Faulkner, of Northumbria Police, said: "This is a very upsetting case that saw Potterton target his underage victim on social media before sexually exploiting her over a number of weeks. His behaviour has had a shattering impact on both his victim and her family. I sincerely hope his conviction in court offers them some comfort.

"As soon as we were made aware of this case, we were determined to get hold of Potterton who we learnt had been travelling long distances from Lincolnshire over a number of weeks to sexually exploit his victim."

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A 35-year-old man has been jailed for 5 years and 6 months after committing further sexual offences against children two months after he was released on licence.

Jamie Lee Tye of Normandy Road in Louth was charged with two counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), three counts of creating indecent images of children, and one count of possessing indecent images of children.

These offences took place between April and October 2021 when he was released on licence.

Detectives from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) received intelligence that Tye had committed further offences involving indecent images of children.

Following several enquiries, a warrant was executed on 13 October 2021 and Tye was arrested for making indecent images of children and for breaching the order. He was subsequently recalled to prison to complete the rest of his sentence.

Investigations continued whilst Tye was still serving his sentence and on his release on Friday 14 October this year, detectives re-arrested him. He was remanded in court on Saturday 16 October and was returned to prison.

Detective Sergeant Sam Ward from POLIT said: Teamwork was paramount to the success of this operation in keeping a dangerous offender off our streets. Id like to give thanks to my team of dedicated officers for their hard work in securing this conviction.

Detective Constable Laura Gavin, who led the investigation, said: Lincolnshire Police is committed to keeping children safe from harm and we will robustly pursue anyone who is suspected of this type of offence.

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A Stamford man who tried to rape a stranger and sexually assaulted another woman has been jailed for five years and 10 months.

Caine Hull was just 17 when he carried out the offences in November 2018, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Hull, now 21, denied four offences of sexual assault on a young woman, who cannot be named, but was found guilty after a trial in July.

The jury also convicted Hull of a single charge of attempting to rape a woman in her early 40's.

Sarah Phelan, prosecuting, told the court the offence was an attempted rape of a stranger who was drunk but able to walk home.

"He targeted a vulnerable victim in the early hours of the morning," Miss Phelan said.

The victim of the sexual assaults carried out by Hull was in court to watch him sentenced today (November 2).

Miss Phelan read out a victim impact statement from the woman who described how the incidents had impacted her in many ways.

She said: "Initially I was frightened to go out either alone or with friends."

The woman added her fear of Hull got worse when she reported the matter and realised he was on bail.

She described being unable to go out in the dark until shortly before the trial and said she was "terrified" of Hull.

The woman said she had suffered with anxiety and depression since the assaults, and had also lost some friends.

She concluded her statement by adding: "I wish to move on with my life, and move on from the hell he's caused me."

Hull also pleaded guilty to an offence of attempted robbery committed in February 2021.

The court heard Hull, formerly of Northumberland Avenue, Stamford, was remanded into custody following his trial at Lincoln Crown Court in July.

Karen Walton, mitigating, told the court Hull had no previous convictions until his offending began in November 2018.

She reminded the court Hull was still then a juvenile.

He will remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Speaking after the sentencing. investigating officer DC Kerry Munro said, “I would like to pay tribute to the women assaulted by Hull and their bravery in coming to us and supporting the investigation.

“It’s been a long wait for them to finally see Hull face justice for what he has done.

“The delays they have endured were exacerbated by Hull’s refusal to accept responsibility for his crimes. No sentence could make up for the harm he has caused but I hope today’s result brings some peace and consolation to these inspirational women.

“This is a message to perpetrators of the consequences of their actions.

“We will do all in our power to bring offenders before the courts, no matter how long it takes.

“If you have been a victim of sexual assault, we will take your report seriously and treat you with sensitivity and respect.”

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Lee Overton, Woodhall Drive, Lincoln, was sentenced Wednesday, 26 October 2022, following a trail, lasting a week and a half at Lincoln Crown Court.

Overton was found guilty of 17 offences of sexual assault on a child under 13 years old that happened between 2011 and 2018.

Along with his prison sentence of five and a half years, he was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has been placed on the sexual offenders register for life.

DC Jann Olsen, Protecting Vulnerable People, Lincolnshire Police, said: “I welcome the prison sentence and the ongoing protective measures that have been put in place.

“This offending was against the most vulnerable in society and I hope with the conclusion of the court case, those involved can find some closure.”

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A Lincolnshire man who was arrested in Portugal has been sentenced to three years in prison for child sex offences.

Alistair Riggott, 53, of Grosvenor Road, Skegness, was arrested by a Portuguese police team in a joint operation with Lincolnshire Police International Unit and the National Crime Agency. The arrest followed a warrant issued by Boston Magistrate's Court in October 2021 after Riggott failed to appear at court.

He was charged with numerous offences including attempting to cause a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage a child in sexual communication and the making and possession of indecent images of children. A wanted man appeal was issued by police and an investigation revealed he may have fled the UK.

After discovering he may be in Portugal, Lincolnshire Police International Unit set up a fugitive investigation with local forces to track him down. Riggott was successfully apprehended and extradited back to the UK and admitted to the offences on Tuesday, August 9, at Lincoln Crown Court.

He will also have to adhere to the sex offender notification requirements, previously known as the sex offenders register. Speaking about Riggott's conviction, Detective Sgt Sam Ward said: “This is another dangerous offender facing a term in prison for what he has done.

"Ultimately, our work on this case means that the county is safer today and children are safeguarded as a result. Our Officers, colleagues in Portugal, and the NCA worked diligently to find Riggott and bring him back to the UK to face justice. It’s a powerful message that we will not give up the search for any suspect, wherever they may try to hide.”

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Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

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A scheming convicted sex offender pretended to be a teenage boy in online conversations with young girls in a perverted bid to try to get them to send revealing and intimate photographs of themselves to him, Hull Crown Court heard.

Obsessed and cunning Jamie Agnew used a decoy picture of a boy and even installed special software to disguise the identification of his phone. He used a virtual private network (VPN) in an attempt to prevent police being able to monitor his online activities.

But the children, including a 15-year-old girl, were "savvy enough" not to get drawn into the sexual traps he was laying for them. Agnew was then stopped after a routine police safeguarding check, the court heard.

Agnew, 40, of Wainfleet Road, Skegness, admitted three offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and breaching a two-year suspended prison sentence. Amber Hobson, prosecuting, told the Hull court that the suspended sentence and sexual harm prevention order were imposed at Leicester Crown Court last year for offences of making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Police made an unannounced risk management visit to Agnew's Skegness home on February 16 this year and he threw himself to the floor and claimed that he needed to go to hospital. His mother handed over one mobile phone before leaving the room and shoving other mobiles into a pillow case under a duvet, but she did later hand them over. A laptop was also seized.

Agnew was asked for the password to the mobiles but he did not provide it. Police discovered that Agnew had been communicating with children under 16 on Snapchat and making requests for images of them.

He had also made sexual comments and described sexual activities but had no response to them. Agnew had a conversation with a 15-year-old girl and told her that he was a child. "The defendant deceived the child into having conversations with him," said Miss Hobson. "The risk of harm to her was very serious."

The children seemed to have not been taken in by the deception, but there was potential for severe harm. Agnew had installed software on his phone that allowed him to hide his IP address and had a virtual private network which allowed him to change the IP address and anonymise his online activities, in breach of the order. His internet activity history had to be available under the order so that checks could be made by police.

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that Agnew had made admissions and pleaded guilty. He had been in custody on remand.

Recorder Peter Makepeace QC told Agnew: "You were using Snapchat to contact girls under 16. You pretended to be a child yourself. You furnished a photo of a child under 16 and were requesting pictures of the victims to be sent through to you."

Agnew sent suggestive text messages and had discussions of a personal and intimate nature and was chatting with a 15-year-old girl. He used the decoy photograph of a child "to lend some credibility to your claim to be a child" during his chats. "It's extremely fortunate that all the children seemed to be savvy enough not to have engaged too far with you," said Recorder Makepeace.

Agnew was jailed for three years and nine months. The sentence included a consecutive 18 months for breaching the suspended sentence.

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A sadist has been jailed for 12 years for abusing a child decades ago.

Brian Clargo subjected his victim to torture-like abuse in Oxfordshire and Europe. She was made to strip her clothes and was beaten by the now 57-year-old, a court heard.

He played what was referred to in court as the nipple cripple game with her and repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl.

In a victim personal statement summarised to Reading Crown Court by prosecutor Walton Hornsby, the now mum-of-four said the abuse had overshadowed her life. She had suffered severe post-traumatic stress since the ages of 12-13.

Mr Hornsby summarised: She described frequent nightmares which, as I understand it, still occur, with her flashbacks to incidents that occurred when she was a little girl. She has described a form of paranoia about the possibility of the defendant getting into her bedroom.

In May, Clargo was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and child cruelty, committed in both the UK and Europe. He was acquitted on other similar charges.

Sentencing, Recorder Stuart Trimmer QC derided the defendants abuse of his vulnerable victim as dreadful behaviour committed over a matter of years.

The judge said: It is said you werent sadistic and made bad decisions. I reject that and form the view you became just that; sadistic.

Put very shortly, you wrecked her life. She may recover, but you did her enormous damage.

Karlia Lykourgou, mitigating, said her client had suffered tough love in his own childhood, which may have influenced his own behaviour.

The offences dated back more than two decades, he had not been in trouble since and had fully cooperated with the police, she added.

Following the sentencing, Recorder Trimmer praised the victim for the clarity of her evidence and for seeing the process through to the end. He also commended the officer in the case, DC Lucy McDonagh, for her fair investigation in very difficult circumstances.

Clargo, of Mablethorpe, Lincs., will serve half his sentence before he is eligible for release. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.