AN Arnold man who filmed himself raping an eight-year-old girl has been jailed for 16 years.
Alan Martin carried out horrific offences against the youngster but was only caught when he started trading pictures of her with other paedophiles he met over the internet.
Mark Knowles, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court yesterday that the 28-year-old, of Church Lane, Arnold, included the girl's name on files he swapped. Police were then able to trace the victim and her family.
Martin's laptop and computer hard drive contained more than 170 photographs of his victim. Thousands of other indecent images were also found.
Mr Knowles said: "A significant number of images of the girl and the defendant engaging in sexual activity were discovered."
He said the images included rape and added: "On numerous occasions, they were kissing or touching each other's naked bodies."
Martin admitted three charges of rape, five charges of sexual assault and a further charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012.
He also admitted possessing 14,091 indecent images of children together with three charges of making an indecent image of a child, three charges of taking an indecent image of a child and one charge of distributing indecent images of children.
Chris Milligan, for Martin, said that his client suffered from Asperger's syndrome and had difficulty in communicating.
He added: "He didn't achieve at school but spent some time as a police cadet. When he went into work, he was caring for people who had dementia. His social circle of peers of his own age was non-existent.
"He is sorry for what he has done to this young girl, although his insight and full understanding of what he has done is limited."
Martin will remain on parole licence until 2027. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for life and banned from working with children.
Branding Martin a danger to young girls, Judge Michael Heath said: "Your abuse of this little girl was appalling. You knew what you were doing. You knew that it was wrong but you carried on anyway.
"It is plain that you groomed her from when she was five years of age. What harm you have caused to this little girl, heaven only knows. It may not reveal itself until much later in her life.
"There is no doubt that you pose a high risk of re-offending and you are dangerous."
