Never give up: Our daughter's rapist is finally jailed - 16 years later

Jason Hedley, 39, was sentenced to 14 years in prison yesterday for raping and indecently assaulting the girl.

Jurors heard how he had preyed on the young victim at a house in Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Hedley went on to commit a further sexual offence against another young victim in 2005 because the rape and assault went unreported for over a decade.

Hedley was eventually arrested for the earlier offences after the victim found the courage two years ago to report what had happened to her.

Hedley, of New York Road, Leeds, was found guilty of rape and indecent assault after a trial.

The court heard how the young woman’s life had been blighted by “anxiety and emotional distress” as a result of Hedley’s offending against her.

A judge told Hedley that the victim had been vulnerable at the time he targeted her and there was an element of grooming in his offending.

Hedley was given a suspended sentence in 2005 for a sexual offence against a different girl.

Judge Rodney Jameson, QC, told Hedley he would not have been dealt with so leniently at the time had the court been aware of the rape offence. Hedley was also told he must go on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Tim Jacobs, mitigating, said Hedley accepted that he must receive a lengthy prison sentence.

He added: “For a period of ten years or so he has kept away from this type of offending.”

After the case, the victim’s step-father said she was pleased with the sentence given.

He said: “These kind of historic abuse cases are often difficult to prove in court and it takes a brave individual to come forward and report it.

“We hope this conviction and sentence will encourage other people who have been subjected to abuse to come forward.”

Prior to yesterday’s court hearing, both the step-father and mother spoke to The Yorkshire Post about the impact of the offences on their daughter’s life.

Her mother said: “She became quite reclusive around that age. She didn’t like going out anymore. He got into her head. She thought people wouldn’t believe her.”

Around the time of her GCSEs, she became even more troubled – a change triggered by being called upon to give evidence in the 2005 case against Hedley.

Still she did not speak about what had happened to her.

“She went from an A* student to a nightmare,” her mother said.

“We didn’t know what the problem was. We thought it was moving to high school and getting in with the wrong crowd.”

Her step-father said: “She left school at 16 but she’s not been able to work. It’s dragged her back for so long.

“To keep something like that for so long, for all those years, it must have been eating her up inside. You could see the relief once she had given evidence.”

They feel yesterday’s sentencing is the first step in their daughter moving on.

“I don’t want this experience to define her for the rest of her life,” her mother said. “For the first time in a long time she’s looking forward, which is fantastic.”

Her step-father added: “If young people are beating themselves up, they’ve got to come forward. They’ll be listened to, the Crown Prosecution Service are taking historic cases to court. They took our daughter’s and there are others.”