A sex offender who raped a young girl on multiple occasions has been put behind bars for 15 years.
Nicholas Smith preyed upon the girl and raped her up to six times over a five-month period – warning her not to tell anyone or they would both go to prison.
Detectives began an investigation when the girl revealed what had happened to friends, and teachers at her school became aware.
As well as raping and sexually assaulting the girl, Smith also forced her to watch sexual acts and send him indecent images of herself between January and June 2022.
The 44-year-old, of Oakenhall Avenue, Hucknall, was jailed for a total of 15 years at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (8 December).
He will serve a further five years on licence after his release from prison. Smith is also now subject to a restraining order which bans him from contacting the girl for life and has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Smith had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of raping a girl under the age of 13, sexual assault of a child, causing a child to look at sexual activity and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.
Detective Constable Stuart Dolby, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Smith is a predatory sex offender who committed some truly appalling offences against this young girl.
“I know this has been a very difficult and upsetting process for the victim and her family, so I am full of admiration for the bravery and dignity she has shown throughout the legal process.
“But for her bravery in speaking to officers, this man would have remained at-large and other children could have been put at risk as a result.
“The evidence she gave was extremely detailed and utterly damning for Smith, who really had no choice but to admit to what he had done.
“I am pleased he has now been handed a very significant prison sentence and hope this case serves as a warning to others about the consequences of abusing children in this way.
“We will find out, we will arrest you and we will do whatever we can to bring you to justice.
“Our officers are specially trained to support young victims every step of the way and the safeguarding of children is of paramount importance to the force.”
Anyone with concerns about child sexual exploitation should call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999.
For more information about keeping your child safe online, visit: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
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