Robert Ormrod 51

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Now identifies as a woman, Rebecca Louise Ormrod.

A paedophile who subjected a young girl to a campaign of rape and said he would drown her if she spoke out was jailed for 20 years.

Robert David Ormrod, 43, also threatened the victim, aged between eight and 14 at the time of the offences, he would abuse her sister if she told anyone, Liverpool Crown Court heard today.

Ormrod, of Brynn Street, St Helens , attacked the girl multiple times over a seven year period and was convicted of six counts of rape after a trial.

The court heard his wife was aware of one incident of abuse but merely warned him to stop or he would get in trouble.

Ormrod was also convicted of sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity after abusing a six-year-old boy and another young girl, although these offences related to single incidents.

Judge Thomas Teague, QC, sentencing, said: The bare recital of these convictions gives some indication of the level of depravity to which you sank.

The court heard the behaviour of the children had deteriorated since the abuse, and at least two have needed the intervention of the authorities.

Carmel Wilde, representing Ormrod, said her client was sexually abused himself as a child.

She said: Although it is no excuse whatsoever for the nature of this disgusting offending, its very clear that this is a troubled defendant with a very troubled past. He has sustained sexual abuse himself.

Ms Wilde said child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which works with sex offenders to prevent further abuse, produced a report on Ormrod which suggested his thinking was distorted.

The report revealed that through his childhood all closeness and comfort had a sexual component.

Judge Teague said the report and his experience in the courts suggested it was fairly common for paedophiles to have suffered abuse themselves as children.

The court heard Ormrod claimed he was hearing voices and had an alter-ego, and was also on suicide watch in prison after persistently self harming.

Ormrod will be eligible for release after half his sentence, but only if a parole board consider him no longer a danger to the public.