A 24-year-old man who abducted a teenager and kept her from returning home has been jailed for 16 months.

William Willett was convicted of two offences of keeping the child out of the "lawful control" of her mother.

He denied the offences but was found guilty on a majority of 11-1 by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court.

Now Judge Heather Norton has told him that although there were no charges there had been an "undercurrent of drugs and sex" to the case.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told how Willett, of Forstal Road, Faversham, had targeted the child when she was 12 and told her: "Just wait until you are older".

But he later started a relationship with the child who went missing on a number of occasions, including not turning up for a doctor's appointment.

In February the mother went to Willett's home who refused a request to allow the child to leave.

Days later he was seen at a rail station confronting the concerned mother and telling her: "You better shut your f***** mouth before I smash your face in".

He was later arrested and told police he and the child were just friends and he had a 40-year-old girlfriend.

He was also convicted of assaulting the mother and given a two week concurrent sentence.

The judge praised the victim's mother, who had tried to protect her daughter who was now improving since the incidents.

“I found her mother to be an impressive, calm, objective and thoroughly truthful witness and was clearly doing her best to keep her daughter on the straight and narrow," she said.

Judge Norton added that although she was unable to draw conclusions about the nature of the relationship, added: "I have grave suspicions".