by Keith Hunt

A fiend who subjected a young girl to "humiliation and degradation" has been jailed for 12 years.

The victim was still suffering from Gary Savell's "wickedness" many years after he abused her, said a judge.

The 66-year-old pervert had denied 20 charges - four of rape, eight of indecent assault and eight of indecency with a child.

He was convicted of three charges of rape, three of indecent assault and seven of indecency with a child.

Nina Ellin, prosecuting, told Maidstone Crown Court that Savell was a dominating man who used violence and intimidation.

Savell was a naturist living in the Maidstone area. The abuse was not revealed until late 2006.

The victim described learning a technique to shut herself off from what was happening.

"She would sing a song in her head while being raped," said the prosecutor. "She said: 'If you don't see what is happening, you can pretend it isn't happening. I pretended I was someone else, singing a song.' "

Savell threatened to kill the girl if she told anybody.

When arrested last year, Savell, now of Coulsdon, Surrey, denied all the allegations.

Judge Andrew Patience QC said Savell had been convicted on compelling evidence.

"It was truly shocking and horrifying to hear her describe what you did to her," he said. "You used her as a vehicle for your sexual gratification, subjecting her in the process to humiliation and degradation.

"Before me and the jury stood a deeply damaged and unhappy woman, perhaps forever suffering the consequences of your wickedness.

"Even now, you show no remorse. Throughout these proceedings you have thought only of your own skin and how to save it."

The judge added: "I cannot avoid sending you to prison for a substantial time to reflect the horror of what you did."

Savell will remain on the sex offenders' register for life and a sexual offences prevention order will ban him from unsupervised contact with children.