The Redhill Paedophile, Thomas Kirk, a man who raped and sexually assaulted a young child in Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced to prison.
Thomas Kirk, currently 28 years old, repeatedly targeted the primary school-aged girl.
The acts, occurring in Nottinghamshire, were reported to the police five years later when the girl disclosed the abuse to another individual.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said:
‘Specialist child abuse detectives immediately began an investigation and arrested Thomas Kirk at his home address.
‘He denied having any sexual contact with the victim, who provided officers with a compelling account of his actions over many months.’
Thomas Kirk was tried at Nottingham Crown Court in June and convicted by a jury of one count of raping a child under 13, and three counts of sexual assault.
Two of the sexual assaults occurred when the victim was still a child.
A previous trial into the matter concluded without a verdict.
Thomas Kirk, previously of Redhill, Nottingham, also pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.
Appearing at the same venue on Tuesday, Thomas Kirk was given an extended 14-year prison sentence and added to the sex offenders register for life.
Detective Sergeant James Robinson said:
“This case has taken a significant toll on the victim, who has shown great bravery and patience throughout the legal process.
“She will have to live with the consequences of Thomas Kirk’s actions for the rest of her life, but I hope she and her family will take some comfort in this very significant prison sentence.
“Finally I would like to recognise the outstanding work of the Imara charity, whose Children and Young People’s Independent Sexual Violence Adviser gave so much support to the victim and her family throughout this case.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.