A former soldier said to have “served with distinction” has been jailed for 18 years after being revealed as a “highly devious, manipulative and predatory” child rapist.
Darren Sutton, who completed three tours of duty in Iraq during his time in the army, even carried out some of the horrific abuse while living in barracks, Maidstone Crown Court heard.
Having targeted the girl, who was said to be “very vulnerable” due to her circumstances at the time, Sutton “made a fuss” and groomed her with alcohol, cigarettes, food and perfume.
But after she was made to feel “special and loved”, Sutton repeatedly abused her.
The 53-year-old, of Portland Terrace, Sheerness, denied the allegations, which dated back to 2006, but was convicted by a jury of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault of a child following a trial earlier this year.
At his sentencing hearing on June 12, the victim bravely told the court about the lasting impact the abuse has had.
She described feeling isolated and “numb”, suffering from PTSD and heightened awareness, and unable to settle.
“This happened to me at a time in my life when a lot was going on and I was vulnerable,” she wrote.
“I felt a lot of fear as a child. I felt nervous and sick. Over time, I became numb to emotions. This has continued into my adulthood.”
Sutton’s lawyer, Jason Cross, told the court that the defendant was otherwise a man of “exemplary character” whose character references “spoke volumes” regarding his “loyalty and trustworthiness”.
Referring to his time in the Army, the barrister added: “He served with distinction. He completed three tours of Iraq during very difficult times indeed, and Your Honour may feel that provides a bit more mitigation than ordinarily available in cases of this serious nature.
“He is a man of exemplary character save for this, and it’s a tragedy, clearly for the complainant, but also an aberration in respect of Mr Sutton’s character.”
But passing sentence, Judge Oliver Saxby KC told the paedophile that although the court gave him “credit” for his military service, the character references “attest to the extent to which you have been able to conceal the particular part of your character that led to this offending”.
Furthermore, he concluded that Sutton continues to pose a significant risk of serious harm, and to female children in particular, making it necessary to impose an extended sentence for public protection.
Explaining his decision to classify the rapist as a dangerous offender, Judge Saxby said his behaviour was not only “highly devious and manipulative” but had also demonstrated “deliberate targeting of an extremely vulnerable child, cynical grooming and predatory sexual contact”.
He also slammed Sutton’s assertion to jurors that the young girl had “flirted and come on” to him.
But Judge Saxby had nothing but praise for the victim, describing her as “a remarkable woman” whose impact statement was “testament to her sense of balance, perspective and insight”.
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“She speaks of her vulnerability at the time, of the sense of numbness so often associated with the abuse of children – of feeling numb and flat,” he told Sutton.
“This sort of offending strikes at the soul of the child. Diagnoses of PTSD and anxiety, a sense of isolation and a sense of fear.
“She recognises that these consequences – a childhood wrecked and the path of adulthood changed – are a cumulative effect of what was happening to her.
“But I must recognise, as I do, that what you did will have been a significant cause.”
Sutton was handed a 22-year extended sentence, comprising 18 years’ imprisonment of which he must serve at least two-thirds, plus an additional four-year licence period upon release.
Despite the lengthy punishment, Kent Police has not been able to provide a custody image for publication.
