'Monster' who filmed himself raping a child jailed for life in Bristol
A man who groomed, abused and raped a young girl and filmed the assaults has been jailed for life.
Today (23 March), Bristol Crown Court heard how Steve Sutton, 60, would threaten her if she didn't cooperate.
Police was alerted to his house after the property was flagged for downloading indecent images of children, but when investigators analysed Sutton's phone they found clips he had recorded of him raping a girl.
Today, the girl's mother confronted Sutton in court.
She described Sutton as a 'monster' and said: "When the officers told me, the words to me felt surreal. I was numb. Life will never be the same again and it feels overwhelming.
"My child will never be care-free and running wild again. I hope that with years of support, we may get better. I will do everything I can to make sure [we] are okay, but it should never have happened.
"He has destroyed my family. He has broken us all in different ways. He has changed her life, changed her future and given her trauma that will affect her for the rest of her life.
"He is a danger to any child and to society. He doesn't deserve to be free. But I want Sutton to know, he won't break us forever. We will get stronger; we will get better."
PC Rosie Murrell of Avon andSomerset Police said: "These are the most horrific sexual offences that somebody could do to a person, let alone a child."
"This has been a harrowing case; Steven Sutton’s crimes are shocking, disturbing and upsetting. It is clear that Steven Sutton poses a real and significant risk to children."
Det Con Fiona Currey described the crime as 'the worst case' she'd ever dealt with in 16 years of policing: "It has been horrific to view. It's been upsetting. I admit that I've cried watching the footage.
"It sounds weird to say it's rewarding because it's horrific what you're dealing with, and the subject matter is child abuse. But it's such a rewarding role in such a rewarding job because we've managed to stop that and that child is now safe and can move forward," she added.
Sutton admitted 30 counts:
Five counts of rape of a child
Twelve counts of sexual assaulting a child under 13 by penetration
Five counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
One of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
Three of taking indecent photographs of a child
Three of making indecent photographs of a child
One count of possessing extreme pornographic images
Judge Peter Blair jailed Sutton for life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 13 years.