Derry Crown Court: Man jailed for 16 years for 'campaign of rape' against young child

A man who engaged in what a judge described as a 'campaign of rape' lasting two and a half years against a child who was in Primary 1 and 2 at the time has been jailed for 16 years at Derry Crown Court.

The man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim in the case was convicted of 8 charges including 4 of rape, two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual assault after a five day trial. 

All of the offences occurred on dates between August 1 2010 and July 1 2012 when the child was aged between 5 and 7 and the defendant between 33 and 35.

The child said that the abuse happened 'on a regular basis and said it just did not stop once it had started' and she came to believe it was 'normal'. 

She said that sometimes the defendant would take her to a shop and buy her a DVD after abusing her. 

The court heard that the defendant had 'held himself out to her as her natural father.' 

The abuse continued until the child was taken into care and came to light some ten years later when she told her adoptive father what had happened. 

Judge Philip Babington said the defendant had told probation he had no memory of committing the offences but added 'I throw my hands up to it and accept that I am guilty.'. 

The judge said that it was 'a qualified acceptance' of guilt but he blamed it on his 'lifestyle choices.' 

An expert report said the accused was applying a defence of 'substance abuse amnesia' to distance himself from being a sex offender. 

The court heard that the man has 102 convictions for a variety of offences and presenteda high risk of re-offending. 

Judge Babington told the defendant the offences were 'for your own gratuitous reasons and without any regard for the welfare and upbringing of a child who was ostensibly in your care.' 

The man was jailed for 16 years with half of that being in custody. 

He will also sign the Sex Offender's Register for an indefinite period and be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order again for an indefinite period.