The victim of a horrifying sexual assault has seen justice as her attacker was convicted after telling jurors a pack of lies.

Jake Milner, of Dover, argued he couldn't have lured the teenager to a den and pestered undercover paedophile hunters online for sex because he couldn't read or write.

But jurors unanimously convicted the 26-year-old of a barrage of sex offences following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

Milner, who has a brutal past, “manhandled” and sexually assaulted the under-age girl ordering her “don’t tell anyone until you’re 18,” prosecutors said.

“The girl had too much to drink because she was too embarrassed to go home.

The defendant took advantage of her state to have sex with her,” Vivian Walters explained.

“He turned up at the police station the next day drunk, saying he wanted to report a crime and was arrested.”

The harrowing attack, which left his victim haunted with panic attacks and flashbacks, came after the paedophile tried grooming children online.

Sick Milner befriended who he believed to be two 14-year-old girls on Facebook.

But the accounts were decoys set up by a member of the Predator Exposure paedophile hunter group.

Jurors were forced to sit through hundreds of chilling messages the monster sent to the 'girls', who repeatedly made clear they were children.

Milner sent a string of texts where he would order the decoys to refer to him only as 'Daddy' and 'Sir' and perform sexual acts.

But in October 2017 the hunter handed the material to police and Milner was arrested in April 2018 but released under investigation, the court heard.

The reason for the six-month delay was not explained in court.

Milner tried convincing jurors "it's impossible" he sent illegal messages because he can’t read and write, however, prosecutors shot down his lies.

Ms Walters highlighted numerous messages on Milner's phone after it was examined, they included texts to his mum clearly showing Milner was literate.

His victim, who has lifelong anonymity, told the court: "The whole thing has impacted my health and caused difficulty sleeping, and when I do sleep I have panic attacks and flashbacks.

"I have suffered heart palpitations and had to have an echocardiogram, and I believe I suffered post traumatic stress disorder but it hasn't been diagnosed.

"I'm fearful of men I don't know who approach me, when I shower I can still feel him - I feel unclean and grossed out."

Adjourning the case for reports into Milner's dangerousness, judge Jeremy Donne QC said: "I am astonished the crown prosecution service did not charge with rape."

He told Milner's victim she was "sensible, bright and articulate."

You have got nothing to blame yourself for, you acted like any child of that age.

"Put it behind you, you have a very good life ahead of you," he added.

Milner, of Castle Street, was unanimously convicted of two counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to engage a child in sexual activity.

The serving prisoner was also convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He will be sentenced in December pending reports into dangerousness.

It comes after Milner, also known as Milner-Homewood, was jailed at the same court last year to five-and-a-half years custody for robbery.

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