A man who raped and indecently assaulted a teenage girl has been jailed for almost 10 years.
Craig Hodgson groomed his young victim, plying her with alcohol and paying her £10 for a kiss before he went on to rape her when she was just 13 years old.
The offences happened in the Blackburn area in 2002 but were only reported to police in 2018.
Hodgson (pictured) 56, of Railton Avenue, Blackburn, had denied rape and indecent assault but was found unanimously guilty by a jury after a trial at Preston Crown Court earlier this month.
He was sentenced to nine years and six months for the rape and six months concurrent for the indecent assault. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Det Con Vicky Heys said: “I would like first and foremost to commend the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward and report what happened to her all those years ago and for the strength to see these proceedings through to this point – I hope that she feels some sense that justice has been done.
“Hodgson is clearly a paedophile who has an interest in young girls and who took steps to groom and then indecently assault and rape a young teenager for his own sexual gratification and regardless of the lasting damage it would cause his young victim, trauma he effectively made her relive by denying his guilt and forcing her to go through a trial.
“I welcome this conviction and the significant sentence given today and I hope that it gives others who may have suffered similar abuse the confidence to speak to us about what happened safe in the knowledge that we will investigate professionally and sensitively and without fear or favour.”
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