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A vile paedophile who "ruined the life" of his schoolgirl victim has finally been brought to justice more than 40 years later.
John Storey subjected the young girl to years of abuse in the late 1970s when he was aged between 33 and 35.
This included touching her vagina, making her touch his penis and perform a sex acts on him, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Tom Storey, prosecuting, said the victim remembered waking up to find the pervert in the room next to her before the abuse began.
He said: "She described herself as being powerless to do anything about it.
"On days following occasions when he abused her he would sometimes tell her to say nothing about it.
"He would tell her people would not believe her, and if they did she would be responsible for his sons losing their father."
The victim was initially too terrified to tell anyone about what had been going on and said the abuse had ruined her life.
The 77-year-old's sickening crimes drove her to abusing alcohol and drugs and she ended up seeking the help of a counsellor.
It was during a counselling session that the brave victim spoke of the abuse she had endured and eventually reported it to the police in February last year.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "The abuse has had a devastating impact on my life. I found it difficult to make friends at that time and always felt like an outsider.
"I believed it was my fault and I should have done more to stop the abuse from happening.
"Living with this secret has had a massive effect on my mental health. I was so ashamed of it I started abusing alcohol and drugs to block out the memories and the pain.
"I truly believe that John saw vulnerability in me and preyed on me.
"I will always live with the guilt that other children may have been abused by John after me because I did not speak out at the time.
"That is something I have to come to terms with."
Storey, of Kingston Green, Newcastle, was arrested and interviewed on March 4, 2020, and initially denied any allegations of sexual abuse against the complainant.
He later admitted four counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecency with a child at Newcastle Crown Court.
The court heard how Storey had a history of offences against young girls. He spent more than a decade behind bars from 2008 for a string of sex offences including three counts of rape and two counts of attempted rape.
Storey was subject to a conditional discharge in July 1977 after having intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 and would have breached this by abusing his latest victim to speak out.
Paul Caulfield, defending, said his client suffered from a serious lung disease which limited his life expectancy. He added that this meant he was particularly vulnerable to catching Covid-19.
Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Storey to six years in prison, of which he will serve half behind bars if he is no longer deemed a risk before being released on licence.
"You ensured her silence by telling her she would not be believed," Judge Moreland told him.
"You told a probation officer you were unable to remember the fact you repeatedly abused a child in that way.
"What you did to her was devastating. You ruined her life.
"You are an inveterate abuser of girls."
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and will pay a victim surcharge.