A former Kent Morman - who subjected a child to numerous sex assaults - has been sent to prison.

Sydney Rayner - now 82 years old - carried out attacks on the victim he met at meetings of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The sexual predator told her that she had a "womanly and curvaceous" body but she was still of primary school age.

For more than three years the married paedophile subjected his victim to sex assaults - which resulted in suicide attempts as she struggled to cope with her secret abuse, Maidstone Crown Court has heard.

Rayner, who now lives in Chester, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after admitting five historic child sex offences.

His victim wept in court as details of her abuse at the hands of the man she trusted after meeting in church in Kent were read out.

It was also revealed that Rayner has previous child sex convictions in the 1980s, one involving a six-year-old.

In her Victim Personal Statement, read out in court, she wrote: "What this man has done to me has had unimaginable consequences. I spent years trying to convince myself it didn't happen and that I had made it all up.

"I am grateful, in a way, that he has confessed and that justice is being served."

She added that the psychological consequences resulted in her unable to believe she could be "loved or worth anything".

Simon Taylor, prosecuting, said the victim was interviewed by police in 2018 and told how she had been sexually abused as a child, when she spent time with Rayner, who lived near Brenchley, and his wife.

The court heard that the police were called in when a Morman solicitor reported him - but initially Rayner refused to confess.

Defence barrister Mark le Brocq said Rayner was now suffering from a failing eyesight and needed hearing aids.

Judge Tony Baumgartner banned him from working with children in the future and ordered him to sign the Sex Offender's Register for life.

Rayner remained impassive as he received his jail sentence.

But the judge praised the victim for the courage she showed in coming forward to tell about her abuse.

Speaking after sentencing, DC Deniz Aslan, said: "Rayner repeatedly abused a vulnerable child over several years and acted in a despicable way. He is a predatory paedophile and has caused intolerable suffering.

"Rayner has finally been brought to justice through the courage of his victim and a period in prison will ensure he can cause no further harm to other young children."

An NSPCC spokesman added: “Rayner led a horrific campaign of calculated abuse over three years and left a trail of trauma along the way.

“Thanks to the bravery of his victim in recounting her life-changing ordeals, Rayner has finally been brought to justice.

“Speaking out about child sexual abuse is incredibly difficult for survivors of this awful crime but this case shows that they will be listened to, no matter how much time has passed.”

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