An Ashford man addicted to indecent images of children tried to act out his "grotesque fantasies" with a young girl.

But when he was arrested, company buyer Gary Crook told police: “I hate paedophiles...but then I realised I was becoming one myself.”

Canterbury Crown Court heard the 36-year-old had carried out a “campaign of rape” in Ashford and Lenham.

And when he was arrested, his mobile phone was seized by officers who found he had stored more than 900 sexual images of children which he had downloaded from the internet.

Judge Simon James gave Crook a 22-year extended jail sentence, which means he will be 48 before he can even apply for parole.

He said: “I have rarely, if ever before, heard a disarmingly frank and candid admission to such serious offences of this type.

“I accept that you are now remorseful for the ordeal you put your victim through...which is probably involve some of the worst abuses imaginable.

“You accessed images of child sexual abuse over the internet and chose to act out your grotesque fantasies which involved degrading acts of sexual abuse and exposing your victim to child pornography.”

The court heard the vile sex attacks came to light after the victim revealed the abuse to a family member who contacted police.

“You accessed images of child sexual abuse over the internet and chose to act out your grotesque fantasies which involved degrading acts of sexual abuse and exposing your victim to child pornography.”

Crook initially denied carrying out the repeated rapes but later confessed to his mother during a walk.

The judge told him what he had done meant his victim will suffer “sustained, severe and permanent psychological damage.”

He added: “What you did can properly be described as a campaign of rape and vile sexual abuse on a vulnerable child.”

“Someone who carries out this type of offences poses a significant risk to children" - judge Simon James

Crook, who now lives in Hartford, East Sussex, was sent to prison for 18 years after he had admitted eight charges of rape and other sexual offences.

The judge added an extra four years which he will have to serve on licence if and when he is released from prison and he can only apply for parole after serving a minimum two thirds of the 18 years.

The judge added: “Someone who carries out this type of offences poses a significant risk to children.

“You have an unnatural interest in young children which is evidenced by your collection of images of child sexual abuse.”