Daniel Cross 25

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A RUTHLESS paedophile who raped a girl and subjected her to other sexual assaults has been locked away for 11 years.

Fratton predator Daniel Cross, 22, left the girl psychologically damaged after taking gross advantage of her.

Cross, of Samuel Road, was jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday.

The child-groomer was locked up for a string of offences against a girl aged under the age of 13. These included rape, attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sex, and possessing three indecent category C images of the girl.

In the victims statement read out to court, the girl said she now struggled with every day life.

The girl said the episode had a severe impact on her schooling and personal life as she became withdrawn.

She said: I find it really hard to trust anyone now. It makes me wonder if people are telling the truth and mean what they say.

This has made making new friendships and relationships really hard. Im anxious around men now. If I find myself alone with a man I find myself trying to get out of the situation. It makes me feel unsafe.

The victims mum said she had been left struggling to cope after the bombshell discovery of what Cross had done to her daughter.

What he did haunts me to this day, she said.

It has had a catastrophic effect on my health both physically and mentally. I feel like its affecting every aspect of my life. It has been truly devastating.

I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions with shock the first emotion, which was crippling. I was unable to function.

I did not know how to be a mum any more...and this was one thing I had always considered to be natural at.

The mum went on to say she was consumed by harrowing guilt after failing her daughter. I knew I could never give her innocence back. My baby girl had been broken and I didnt know how to fix her, she said.

She added: I do not think I will ever be able to get over this. I really need the closure of justice.

Judge Timothy Mousley QC then served up justice on Cross who he called a groomer and someone who had limited insight into his offending which had caused serious psychological harm on the girl.

You took gross advantage of her, he said.

After being dumped behind bars for 11 years - which Cross will have to serve at least two-thirds of - the defendant was also told he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

He will also have to maintain in regular contact with police when he is released back into society.