THE young victim of a convicted paedophile has been commended by a children’s charity for her bravery in speaking out.

Raymond Haffenden, of Springfield Road in St Leonards, received a 12-year jail sentence at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of four counts of sexual assault.

The 69-year-old was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl on several occasions during 2017.

Haffenden was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by touching, three counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by penetration and two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

Read more: ‘Predatory abuser’ repeatedly sexually assaulted girl under ten

He was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by touching and two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by penetration.

He was sentenced to four years in prison for the two sexual assaults by touching, and 11 and 12 years for each charge of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by penetration, to be served concurrently.

Haffenden was told he must serve at least two thirds of his sentence in custody, and he was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Protection Order, severely restricting his access to children and electronic devices.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said thanks to the young person’s courage, Haffenden has been punished for the “harm he so cruelly inflicted”.

“It takes a great deal of courage to speak out about abuse, and thanks to the young person’s bravery Haffenden will be punished for the harm he so cruelly inflicted,” said a spokesman.

“Last year there were more than 85,000 reports of child sexual abuse recorded by UK police forces, the highest on record.

“This week’s IICSA [Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse] report has rightly called for child protection to be made a national priority. The government now needs to translate IICSA’s recommendations – along with those from recent reports – into an effective, fully-funded system that keeps all children safe from harm and ensures that offenders like Haffenden face justice.

“It is also crucial that everyone recognises they have a part to play when it comes to keeping children safe from sexual abuse. We urge anyone who is concerned about a child to contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk, while young people can speak to a trained counsellor at Childline on 0800 1111 or at childline.org.uk.”