A man who regularly abused a girl into her adulthood has been jailed for four years.

Dean Tarrant, 47, was a child himself when the offences began but he continued to abuse her throughout the 1980s, a court heard.

The offences happened when Tarrant was living in Northview Road,Swanley, and then Hawley Road, Dartford, between 1980 and 1989.

Tarrant, now of Brentwood in Essex, was found guilty of two counts of gross indecency and sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Fleur Hardie said: "Despite being only a boy himself when his offending began, Dean Tarrant should still have known what he was doing was wrong. The fact he continued to abuse the girl into adulthood demonstrates his lack of remorse or regret for his actions.

"I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case who showed great courage in speaking out about the terrible crimes she had been put through over a period of about eight years.

"Kent Police takes all reports of historic sexual abuse seriously and I would like to assure victims their reports will be thoroughly investigated no matter the length of time that has passed since the incident occurred."