A court has chillingly heard how a paedophile told police officers that raping his young victim provided him with a “release of tension”.

Joseph Hilton, 30, groomed the girl aged under 12 before abusing her over the course of a year.

Hilton, of Halgavor Lane in Bodmin , appeared at Truro Crown Court to be sentenced on Friday (June 21) after pleading guilty to two counts of oral rape, two sexual activity with a child charges and two inciting a child to engage in sexual activity counts.

Prosecuting barrister Philip Lee told the court how when the victim became quiet her mum asked her what was wrong, the girl replying that the defendant had “put his thing in her mouth”.

The allegations were reported to the police and when found on Bodmin Moor Hilton made full admissions.

During her police interview, the victim described being touched in places she didn’t want to be touched and that she “didn’t like it”.

Mr Lee added how the victim found it incredibly difficult to talk about what happened.

During his police interview, Hilton admitted grooming the victim and carrying out the abuse as a form of release.

Sex offender Joseph Hilton from Bodmin

Mr Lee proceeded to give sickening details of the crimes to the court, judge Recorder Andrew Oldland QC hearing how Hilton masturbated onto the victim and touched her vagina as well as raping her orally.

Hilton also told officers how he abused the girl on numerous occasions and ejaculating onto her stomach which he said provided him with a “release of tension”.

Defending Hilton, Jon Holmes said that his only real mitigation was his full and frank admissions which came even before the victim had been interviewed by police.

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Recorder Oldland said: “The abuse was repeated and involved two instances of oral rape.

“When interviewed you (Hilton) admitted a series of sexual offences. You said you’d been touching your victim, grooming her and saw her as an object.

“What started as touching escalated to masturbation to the point of ejaculation.”

Sex offender Joseph Hilton from Bodmin

Recorder Oldland added that Hilton has no previous convictions and his admissions provided a degree of insight into his offending.

Hilton was jailed for 10 years but will not automatically be released at the halfway point, any release subject to the approval of The Parole Board.