A "monster" who raped and sexually abused a child has been jailed for 20 years for acts a judge described as "wicked in the extreme".
Matthew Dobie - who was originally from the South Gloucestershire area before he moved to Cambridge - was handed the a 20-year sentence at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (18 February).
The 47-year-old carried out the offences on a single victim a number of years ago but they were not reported to police until 2020. In December last year, Dobie was found guilty by majority verdict of two counts of raping a child and four counts of sexual activity with a child.
At his sentencing on Friday, Judge Julian Lambert described Dobie's crimes as "despicable". "Few words can properly describe the depth of you degeneracy, few words can do you justice. You are truly a monster," he said.
Dobie will be required to serve a minimum of two-thirds of his custodial sentence and a further four years to be served on licence. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register and will be the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Lambert told him: "The extent of the damage which you did is utterly numbing. The damage done is irreparable. There is no question but that you knew what you were doing was wrong and wicked in the extreme. "You chose your own corrupt sexual pleasures and thought nothing of the ruination of a young life."
The officer in the case, DC Melanie Downton, praised the victim for their bravery.
She said: "I would like to thank the victim and their family who came forward in this case and commend their immense bravery in engaging with the police investigation. "The defendant accepted no responsibility for his deplorable actions and I believe this sentence reflects both the serious and impactful nature of the offending and the fact that the perpetrator did everything in his power to escape accountability for his crimes," she continued.
Temporary Detective Inspector Hadley Rides hopes the 20-year-sentence handed to Dobie will give confidence to sexual abuse victims to report what has happened to them.
He said: "I would reiterate our gratitude to the victim for their courage throughout this lengthy process. "Our message to any victim is that no matter how long ago it happened, you will be believed, your case will be taken seriously and we will do everything we can to obtain the evidence required to secure a conviction."
