Sex beast preyed on girl, 9

Kevin Hazelwood, 40, already under supervision for downloading child porn, had confessed to probation officers that he was a paedophile and had abused another young girl in the early Eighties.

But no action was taken and Hazelwood was free to rape the young girl for at least another year until the girl, now nine, told her mother last November.

Hazelwood was yesterday jailed indefinitely for his "systematic abuse" of the girl, as well as the earlier sexual assaults and downloading a further 84 pornographic images of youngsters.

Sussex Police and Sussex Probation Service have launched an investigation into find why Hazelwood's confession, which he made after being convicted for downloading child porn from the internet in 2002, was apparently not acted on at the time.

Judge Richard Hayward yesterday ordered Hazelwood to serve a minimum of five years and seven months behind bars but warned he would be unlikely to be released that soon.

A statement issued by the girl's mother said: "Hazelwood's actions have shocked and repulsed me to the core. He has crushed my world." Judge Hayward said: "Like most paedophiles, you are cunning and manipulative of people and situations.

"You are unwilling or incapable of addressing or controlling your sexual desire for young girls.

"You are a determined and predatory paedophile and you will remain a danger to young girls for the foreseeable future."

Hazelwood, of Oriental Place, Brighton, got to know the mother of the child just before Christmas 2001.

The court heard he took an keen interest in the child, then five, calling himself Uncle Kevin, and became a regular visitor to her home. Gillian Etherton, prosecuting, said: "At face value he appeared to get on well with her and would say to her mother that he would take her up to her room to give Mum some breathing space.

"He was soon suggesting the child stay overnight at another address."

In the summer of 2002 Hazelwood pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court to downloading 20 images of child sex abuse from the internet, was placed on the sex offenders register and given a three-year community rehabilitation order to be supervised by the Probation Service.

He convinced the mother he was innocent and that the images had been planted on him.

Hazelwood made the confession about abusing the girl in the Eighties in a letter he wrote as part of his therapy sessions under the terms of the order.

Sussex Probation Service assistant chief officer Nick Smart said yesterday that the information was passed on to the police and other agencies but would not comment on what happened after that.

Hazelwood was able to continue abusing the nine-year-old girl until she told her mother.

They were chatting and reading when the girl said: "Uncle Kevin does that to me."

She described him forcing her into a sexual act, so the mother called the police.

In an interview the girl described how Hazelwood had been regularly raping, attempting to rape and forcing her into other sickening acts since February 2002.

Hazelwood would lure her upstairs, asking her to come and play games such as Monopoly before abusing her.

When she cried he called her a baby.

He took indecent photographs of her and threatened to show them to her mother if she ever said anything about the abuse.

The mother had another child and would leave Hazelwood to babysit.

Miss Etherton added: "When it was time for a nappy change he would try to encourage the daughter to sexually abuse the baby.

"What's particularly tragic is that he would try to do things to the baby but she said 'No, just do it to me instead', in order to protect her sister.

"She felt to some degree to blame and that she would be in trouble. That may account for her silence."

Hazelwood was arrested and when interviewed repeated his confession about abusing the young girl in the early Eighties.

Police tracked down the victim and she told them how Hazelwood had preyed on her from the ages of eight to 13.

She said he invented a sexual game called Hide the Marble.

Police seized computer equipment at Hazelwood's home containing 84 photographs and video clips depicting sexual abuse on children between the ages of three and 14.

No images were found of the girl he had been abusing but he admitted he had taken some on a digital camera and deleted them.

Hazelwood admitted six counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault on the same victim. In addition, he pleaded guilty to a further ten counts of downloading child pornography and four counts of assaulting the child in the Eighties.

The public gallery at Lewes Crown Court was packed with his recent victim's family and their friends. Her mother and her partner sat weeping just six feet away from Hazelwood as the disturbing facts of the case were described to the judge.

Richard Barton, defending, said: "He takes full responsibility for what he has done.

"He asks me to say that anything I say in mitigation should not be read as being any attempt to absolve him from his responsibility for what he has done." He said Hazelwood's reaction when he was arrested was to tell officers: "Whatever happens, my life is over."

Mr Barton added: "He is quite clear that he is the one responsible for the abuse that he has inflicted on these young girls and from downloading the images.

"He is a man who has urges. It's not his fault he has these urges but it is his fault that he has chosen to act on them.

"Those who had day-to-day care of the child knew of his history. They knew that he had pleaded guilty to downloading child pornography.

"It could be said that this man pulled the wool over the authorities' eyes and at a time when he was on the sex offenders' register he was in fact abusing a child.

"The level of supervision he was receiving was such that there was no great need for sophistication on his part."

At that point, Hazelwood instructed his barrister not to say anything more on his behalf in mitigation.

Judge Hayward also sentenced him to a minimum of four years' imprisonment for downloading pornographic images, to run concurrently.

He added: "When you were arrested for downloading images in summer 2002 the mother continued to offer friendship and support.

"You returned her friendship and trust by grooming her daughter and systematically abusing her.

"You caused her severe pain and distress and prevented her from saying anything by taking photographs and threatening to show her mother.

"You don't have to be a psychologist to realise that such serious abuse has a painful effect which is carried through life. Before anyone rushes to judgement, the only person to blame for your offending is you.

"There is no reason why a hard-pressed probation officer should have realised what was going on and been able to stop it.

"You will remain in prison indefinitely until the parole board considers it appropriate for you to be released.

"I am quite sure the board will take considerable care before making a decision to release you."

Hazelwood, who had sat throughout with his head bowed, showed no emotion as sentence was passed and he was lead from the dock.

The mother of the nine-year-old victim said: "The unquestioning support of our family and close friends has been overwhelming, and for this I would express my utmost gratitude.

"I would also like to state how immensely proud I am of my daughter.

"The courage she displayed and the strength she has shown throughout has been inspiring."