Kyle Byfleet 31

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A former Keighley man who targeted and sexually abused a young girl during a sickening campaign has been jailed for 17 years.

Kyle Byfleet, 31, was found guilty at Bradford Crown Court last month of nine charges including rape of a child under 13, sexual assault and assault by penetration of a child under 13.

On Friday, the court heard that Byfleet, of Vicarage Lane, Beckingham in Nottinghamshire, was still struggling to come to terms with the conviction and maintained he is innocent.

But Judge Jonathan Gibson told Byfleet over a prison video link that he had been convicted of very serious allegations and the probation service had assessed him as being “a high risk” of committing further offences.

The nature of Byfleet’s offending meant he was treated as “an offender of particular concern” and the judge imposed an additional one year licence period on top of the 17-year jail term. Byfleet, who had no previous convictions, will have to serve at least two-thirds of the 17-year sentence before the Parole Board decide if it is safe to release him.

As a result of his conviction he will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life and comply with the terms of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told the court that Byfleet would give his victim rich expensive chocolates and show her pornographic videos. Mr Hendron said the youngster had seen a presenter on YouTube relating her own personal experiences of sexual abuse and it made the complainant appreciate that what was happening to her was wrong.

He said: “The complainant told him she had seen videos on YouTube and he should not do things because he would go to prison."

Barrister Camille Morland, for Byfleet, said he knew he was facing a long sentence and had expressed a wish to end his life. She added: “He will have to come to terms with the sentence your honour is going to pass today. He knows it is going to be a very long sentence indeed.”