A sexual predator who assaulted a young girl has been jailed.

Gary Parnell, 39, appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentence after being convicted after trial of assaulting a child by penetration.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was 11 and the defendant 36 at the time of the assault, which happened in Norwich on December 7, 2019.

Parnell, of Providence Place, Norwich, had denied the offence but was convicted after a trial which finished in June.

Before Parnell was sentenced the victim's mother made a statement on behalf of her daughter who has found it "difficult to communicate her feelings".

The statement, read out by Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, she said her daughter has been "enormously affected" by the abuse which has affected her self-confidence and self-esteem both socially and at school.

The victim, who has "lost trust in men", had counselling after the abuse happened but is "living it again" as the court case has "brought everything back to her".

Mr O'Donnell said: "She's been taken right back to the day these things happened to her."

Passing a nine-year sentence, made up of eight years in custody and one year on licence, Judge Alice Robinson, who described the victim as being "particularly vulnerable" said Parnell had shown "no remorse".

Judge Robinson said it had not only harmed the victim but her whole family too.

Jude Durr, for Parnell, accepted there was no credit for a guilty plea as he had been convicted after a trial.

But he said there had been "no deliberate targeting" of the victim and insisted the events "arose quite spontaneously".

Parnell was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years.

He has also been given a restraining order, meaning he cannot contact the victim directly or indirectly for 10 years and must sign on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

Speaking after sentence, Detective Constable Lisa Gough said: “This case, involving the predatory sexual behaviour of an adult over a young child, has now come to a positive conclusion.

"The sentence passed by the court reflects the depravity of Parnell who took advantage of a vulnerable individual.

"The defendant’s actions have had a profound impact on the victim’s life and although this sentence will not change what has happened, I hope it provides some closure."