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A "callous and selfish" Bedford man who pleaded guilty to having sex with a child has been jailed for five years.
Stuart Tomey, 36, committed a number of sexual offences against a teenage girl between April and November 2020.
He was arrested by Bedfordshire Police in December after the victim came forward to report on his actions.
Detectives praised the bravery of the teenage girl, who said in a victim statement: “The impact that this has had on me affects me every day.
"I really struggled with accepting that I was a victim and blamed myself for what happened, but as the time has gone on I learned that this was not my fault.”
Tomey, of Rutland Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced on June 16 to 57 months for each offence, which will run concurrently.
He received a further three months for breaching his bail conditions, totalling five years in prison.
Detective Constable Rebecca Goodman, from Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People team, which investigated the offences, said: “Tomey’s selfish and callous offending has resulted in him receiving a lengthy prison sentence."
She added: “Our force takes reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and we are committed to protecting vulnerable people in our county, and especially in cases which involve children.
“This comes after a second court case concluded this month and resulted in a lengthy prison sentence for child sex offences.
“Hopefully this will encourage further victims of such offences to come forward, no matter when it happened. We will believe you and investigate your report, and we will work with our partner agencies to find the right support for you.”
In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said that victims of rape and sexual assault can receive support and guidance from the force and partner agencies, including the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), as well as support through the criminal investigation process.