A man who brutally raped a 13-year-old girl who he had been sexually abusing has been jailed for 15 years.
Father-of-two Christopher Mims had already been molesting the youngster for about two years when he forced himself on the child.
After raping the girl, the 33-year-old continued to have sex with her until she found the courage to put a stop to the abuse when she was 14.
Robert Duval, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Mims, of Pinewood Way in Colerne, began targethting the girl after his partner had had a baby.
Mr Duval said Mims would routinely touch the child and get her to carry out indecent acts on him.
When she was 13, he engineered a situation where he was alone with the youngster and raped her.
In the following years he had sex with her on a number of occasions until she put a stop to it when she was 14.
Mr Duval said the girl finally confided in others and then went to the police in 2012 to tell them what had happened.
Mims initially denied charges of rape, but on the day of the trial he pleaded guilty to one rape, six counts of sexual assault and two of sexual activity with a child.
Marcus Davey, defending, said that, although his client was significantly older and in a relationship with an adult, Mims had been an immature man at the time.
Since the offences came to light, he had lost his job and contact with his children after his relationship broke down.
Jailing him, Judge Douglas Field said: "One of the features in the case which will be reflected in your sentence is the very significant affect it has had on the victim.
"I have read her victim impact statement. The psychological damage you have done to her is profound and will be long lasting.
"You offended against this girl on a regular and prolonged basis. On one occasion you raped her and you were having regular sexual intercourse with her while she was under 16."
As well as jailing him for 15 years, the judge also imposed a restraining order banning Mims from contacting his victim for 12 years.
He also imposed a sexual offences prevention order, restricting his liberty for the same period, and told him he must register as a sex offender for life.
