A rapist has been jailed after repeated assaults on young girls.

Predator Ervins Alksnis, from Maidstone, was handed an 18-year sentence for his “remorseless” crimes.

The 38-year-old was convicted unanimously following a week-and-a-half long trial at Canterbury Crown Court, after jurors heard how he overpowered his victims.

Alksnis abused and then raped Girl A, the court heard.

In a police interview she explained Alksnis had pinned her down.

“At first I was trying to push him away but I wasn’t strong enough - I was shouting and screaming,” she said.

Alksnis would emotionally blackmail Girl A into keeping the abuse a secret, prosecutor Michael Hillman explained, and once held a knife to his throat and threatened to kill himself if she went to police.

But Alksnis, of Chillington Street, denied there had been sexual contact with either girl before answering ‘no comment’ to further questions in a string of police interviews.

Judge Rupert Lowe told Alksnis: “You knew what you had done but you were determined to prioritise your own needs over theirs.

“What you have done to these girls has had a profound and lifelong effect on them - you have shown no remorse at any stage.”

Both of his brave victims could be seen comforting each other throughout the hearing and told how the abuse destroyed their lives.

“The sexual abuse has changed my life significantly and I don’t know exactly how I will recover.

“This has been so painful for so many years and the last few weeks doesn’t tell the story remotely,” one survivor said.

His other victim added her relationships and education had suffered as a result of the trauma: “Things are triggered at the slightest thought.”

Alksnis was convicted of three counts of rape, three counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, four counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, assaulting a child under 13 and sexual activity with a child.

Mitigating, Irshad Sheikh said Alksnis was “kind hearted and conscientious,” adding: “These offences appear to be totally out of character.”

Alksnis remained emotionless as he was led to the cells, while his friends and family in the public gallery were visibly distraught.

Judge Lowe told Alksnis' victims: "Thank you very much for coming to court, I wish you all the best for the future, it takes great courage to come to court to describe what has happened to you."