Gordon Burgess 55

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A sex abuse victim has been praised for her "extraordinary fortitude" as her attacker was jailed for 12 years.

The teenager won the admiration of a judge for the way she gave evidence against former bus driver Gordon Burgess.

The 43-year-old, of Thorn Hill Road, Warden, Sheerness, denied two offences of rape and three of sexual activity with a child - but was convicted by a jury of 10 women and one man, the 12th juror having been discharged.

The girl told by TV link from a witness room at Maidstone Crown Court how she tried to blank out what was happening to her.

"I tried not to think about it," she said.

Burgess raped her twice without using any protection.

"He never said not to tell anybody about it," she said. "He never threatened me or gave me any rewards for keeping quiet."

She agreed she could have told somebody or gone to the police. She eventually called Childline and reported the abuse.

"I felt trapped because it was partly my fault for not doing anything," she added.

The girl denied a suggestion by defence lawyer Andrew Baughan that she made up the allegations.

Mr Baughan said after the verdicts that Burgess had been a good citizen up to the point he started offending.

"i felt trapped because it was partly my fault for not doing anything" gordon burgess's victim

"It appears to be confined to a relatively short period," he said. "It coincided with his ill-health. He has lost his good character and reputation."

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC, told Burgess: "The seriousness of the offences is self-evident. You know nothing less than a significant period of imprisonment will follow.

"An aggravating feature is that you used no form of protection. The criminality must fall at the top end of the range."

The mitigation was limited, he said. Burgess was a family man in poor health.

"I draw attention to the traumatic effect your offending is bound to have on your unfortunate victim," added the judge.

"It has to be said she withstood the ordeal to which you subjected her to give evidence with extraordinary fortitude."

An indefinite sexual offences prevention order was imposed. Burgess will be banned from working with children and his name will appear on the sex offenders' register for life.

After sentence, DC Emily Hooper, from Kent Police, said: "Burgess denied all the allegations that were made, but the victim's strength in bravely giving evidence in court has helped us secure a substantial prison sentence.

"It will be a long time before Burgess is released from prison and I hope that will allow the victim to move on in life."