Rotherham man who groomed and raped defenseless girl jailed

Steve Palmer, of the NCA, said: “Whilst the victim will always live with Fish’s actions, I hope his sentence will bring him some peace and allow him to move forward.”

The court heard Fish, who was in his 20s at the time, started grooming the girl while she was in care when she was 15.

He was giving her drink and drugs before sexually assaulting her and taking indecent pictures and videos of her; these were later found on his computer, although he denied their existence.

The victim said Fish became violent, once smashing a mug over her head and requiring stitches.

Crown Prosecution Service specialist prosecutor Jeanette Smith said the “brutal” abuse suffered by the victim “could have caused lifelong physical and emotional trauma”.

“Fish used gifts, drugs and alcohol to persuade, coerce and manipulate a child into having sex with him, all for his own sexual gratification,” he said.

“His use of threats and violence to control the victim and fulfill his demands for sex was completely despicable.”