A shop manager has been jailed for nine years for a series of sexual offences against a seven-year-old girl.

Benjamin Tomsett, who was found guilty following a trial, also admitted possessing 243 indecent images of unidentified children.

He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court having previously been found guilty of four counts of sexual assaults.

The attacks began when Tomsett, 43, was living in Cherry Orchard, Hadlow.

After arrest he moved to Boxley Road, Maidstone, but was remanded in custody after being convicted.

Det Con Amanda Zinyama, of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “This little girl had been subjected to systematic assaults by Tomsett.

“Finally the girl summoned up the courage to tell her family.

“When he was arrested his mobile phone was seized and the indecent images of children were found. None were of his victim or of any other identifiable children.

“He admitted to downloading and viewing the images when he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol but he denied the sexual assaults up to and throughout the trial.

“His victim therefore had to have her fully detailed and video-recorded evidence played in court and was cross-examined as part of his defence.”