A perverted pensioner who raped and abused a young boy could die in prison after he was jailed for 12 years.

Roger Hearsey, who still maintains his innocence despite a jury's verdicts, suffers from heart disease and has reportedly been told he has only a year to live.

The 67-year-old already has a pacemaker and failed to show up at Maidstone Crown Court earlier this week when he called an ambulance in the middle of the night and was taken to hospital.

But a warrant was issued by the court after it heard he had been discharged within hours.

Hearsey was arrested at his home and he appeared in the dock today.

Sitting throughout the sentencing hearing, Hearsey was told by Judge Jeremy Carey he had been convicted on "truthful and wholly reliable" evidence given by his victim.

Hearsey, of Beagles Wood Road, Tunbridge Wells, denied rape, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two offences of sexual assault.

"Roger Hearsey demonstrated a complete lack of concern for the welfare of his young victim, who he manipulated and abused in order to fulfil his own perverted sexual desires..." - DC Claire Bassett

During his trial last month, the court heard he raped the boy on one occasion and also performed a sex act on him after telling him to pull down his trousers and pants.

Hearsey also molested the youngster and made him touch him sexually.

The abuse came to light when the boy's mother noticed he was moody. Prosecutor Deborah Charles told the court he wept as he revealed what had happened.

"He said he had tried to forget about it," she added. "He found it difficult to talk about so he wrote it down."

In sentencing, Judge Carey said Hearsey had also groomed the boy by showing him a pornographic film.

"This was a sustained incident and plainly something you planned," added the judge.

"He was vulnerable and there is some evidence of psychological harm...as a matter of inevitable consequence there will be long-term effects."

Alexia Zimbler, defending, told the court mitigation was limited as Hearsey was "still adamant" he was innocent. She also asked the court that in spite of of Hearsey's claim regarding his cardiologist's prognosis, he be given some hope for the future.

"If his cardiologist is correct it matters not what sentence the court passes today," Miss Zimbler said. "However, one must always have hope.

"I would ask the court to consider sentencing him at the lower end of the scale so that he does have, if his heart doesn't give in sooner rather than later, some hope of coming out of prison and trying to carry on his life."

Hearsey, who also admitted breaching his bail by not attending court, will have to serve half his sentence.

Upon release he will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and also have to sign on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Claire Bassett said: "Roger Hearsey demonstrated a complete lack of concern for the welfare of his young victim, who he manipulated and abused in order to fulfil his own perverted sexual desires.

"I would like to pay tribute to his victim for having the courage to speak up about the terrible ordeal he had been put through, allowing us to put a dangerous man behind bars."