A sex offender who put his victim through the ordeal of having to give evidence at a trial admitted his guilt after he was convicted - and confessed to molesting another child.

Derek Bridger was told by a judge the confession about further offending would not increase the sentence, but he could take it into account when considering dangerousness.

He then jailed the 47-year-old father for 12 years and said he would be on licence for a further four years under an extended sentence.

Bridger, of Sandhurst Close, Tunbridge Wells, will have to serve eight years of the term before he can be considered for release.

It was second time he was punished for historic sex abuse involving the same victim.

Now an adult, she had told her mother she had been abused by Bridger as a five-year-old - and then discovered she had also been molested by him while even younger.

Prosecutor Siobhan Molloy said the woman, who cannot be identified, had no memory of the abuse she suffered as a toddler.

It was only after she had contacted police last year and then told her mother of what she could recall that she discovered the truth.

"You are a devious and manipulative man prepared to rely on your poor health and limited intellect to say you couldn’t commit serious offences against a child" - Recorder Mark Van Der Zwart, to Bridger

“Her mother told her that when she was approximately 18 months old Derek Bridger was arrested for indecently assaulting her on two occasions,” said Miss Molloy.

“He appeared here at Maidstone Crown Court in November 1988 and pleaded guilty to two matters of indecent assault. She was not told about that because they wanted to save her from it.”

He was given a probation order and restrictions were put on contact with the victim.

But the woman said Bridger molested her as a child and eventually raped her. He became progressively more aggressive. She kept quiet about it because she felt she was to blame.

“It wasn’t until she grew up that she felt he should be punished for what he did to her,” said Miss Molloy.

Bridger in June denied two charges of rape, two of indecency with a child and four of indecent assault.

He was convicted of the rapes, three offences of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child and acquitted of the two remaining charges.

Bozzie Sheppi, defending, said a probation report on Bridger made startling reading as he had admitted his guilt after conviction.

He had been married for 19 years and been a good father, she said, and was too embarrassed and ashamed to admit what he had done.

“He knows he prolonged matters for her (the victim) by having a trial,” she said. “It is startling to see somebody in his position make full admissions as he did.”

Miss Sheppi said of Bridger’s confession of further abuse of another victim: “There has been no formal complaint. There is an admission there.”

Recorder Mark Van Der Zwart said a victim personal statement told a story of somebody who had been severely psychologically harmed by the offences.

She had also been abused by somebody else but Bridger was to blame for much of the harm.

“You have an entrenched pattern of offending against children,” he said. “You have not been prosecuted for any other offence.”

Bridger had sought to put the blame elsewhere for the abuse.

“It demonstrates you are a devious and manipulative man prepared to rely on your poor health and limited intellect to say you couldn’t commit serious offences against a child,” added Recorder Van Der Zwart.

A sexual harm prevention order was made and Bridger’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “The tragedy of this case is the missed opportunity to protect the victim from this abhorrent abuse.

"Not only did the victim have to relive her ordeal in court, but she also had to deal with the revelation that Derek Bridger had previously pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting her when she was a toddler.

"The victim has shown incredible bravery since reporting the abuse, bravery which resulted in Derek Bridger confessing to molesting another child.

"By coming forward, the victim can now get the support needed and this case will hopefully encourage his other victim to come forward."

Any child who has been a victim of abuse can call Childline free, 24 hours-a-day, on 0800 1111.