A RAPIST took advantage of a teenage girl and subjected her to two years of abuse.

Larry White has been jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of a series of sexual assaults, including rapes, against the girl in Emsworth near Chichester.

The girl was 14-years-old when the abuse, which lasted for two years and included rapes, started.

White, 55, now of Canal Walk in Portsmouth, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday.

Detective constable Leigh Rankin, of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “White came to know this young girl and took advantage of her vulnerability to sexually abuse her for his own gratification for two years.

“Eventually she felt strong enough to confront him and to tell us. We immediately took action, arresting White and carrying out a thorough investigation which established the full and appalling nature of his offending.

“His victim has given full support to the investigation and bravely gave her evidence in court.

“This case shows once again that we will resolutely investigate all such reports, support the victims and seek justice for them wherever possible.”

White will be a registered sex offender indefinitely.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order severely restricting his contact with children, to last until a further court order.

The victim said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It took a long time to achieve this result but I’d do it all again without a second thought.

“This man was well-practised in what he did and there is no doubt in my mind that there were victims before me.

“I hope upon reading this article, said victims can muster up the courage to tell their story or at least take comfort in the fact that Larry White is in prison paying for his crimes.”