Nicholas Smith: Man jailed for 15 years for raping young girl

Police described Smith's crimes as "truly appalling"

A Nottinghamshire man who raped a young girl on multiple occasions has been jailed for 15 years.

Nicholas Smith, 44, raped the girl six times over a five-month period and warned her to keep it a secret.

Police said Smith, of Oakenhall Avenue, Hucknall, forced her to watch sexual acts and send him indecent images of herself between January and June 2022.

Detectives investigated when the girl told friends about Smith and teachers became aware.

He pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to two counts of raping a girl under the age of 13, sexual assault of a child and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

In addition to his 15-year sentence, Smith will serve a further five years on licence after his release from prison.

He has also been made subject to a restraining order preventing him from contacting the girl for life, and has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Det Con Stuart Dolby, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Smith is a predatory sex offender who committed some truly appalling offences against this young girl.

"But for her bravery in speaking to officers, this man would have remained at-large and other children could have been put at risk as a result.

"We will find out, we will arrest you and we will do whatever we can to bring you to justice."