A rapist who attacked a teenage girl in the 1990s has been jailed after his victim came forward in 2017.

Ralph Spicer raped and indecently assaulted the child after befriending her in Folkestone and convincing her that he was in love with her.

She approached police about the abuse she suffered years earlier, and officers corroborated details from her testimony with evidence from others who had known both the victim and Spicer at the time.

Following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court, the 55-year-old was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of indecent assault.

The court heard how he had made her believe that he loved her and then raped her at his then-home and carried out sexual acts on her in his car.

Spicer, previously of Clarendon Street in Dover, was jailed for 11 years at the same court on September 2.

Kent Police investigating officer PC Kelly Merrington said: "Spicer abused this victim physically and psychologically when she was still a child and his offences have had a long-term impact on her.

"I would like to praise her bravery in coming forward and supporting this prosecution..."

"When confronted with his crimes, he continued to deny wrongdoing, further drawing out the victim's pain by forcing her to take part in a trial.

"I would like to praise her bravery in coming forward and supporting this prosecution and I hope the jail sentence imposed gives her a sense that justice has now been done.

"I would also like to urge anyone else who has been or is being sexually abused to report it to police as soon as possible, so that we can take action to protect them and bring any perpetrators before the courts."

An NSPCC spokesman said: "Thanks to the commendable courage of the victim in this case, Spicer has been brought to justice and is now facing a lengthy jail sentence.

"This is case is testament to the power of speaking out. Adults who wish to report historic abuse, or have concerns about a child, can phone the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk, while children can contact Childline any time on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk."

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone

Read more: All the latest news from Dover