A Norfolk man is starting an 11-and-a-half year jail sentence for 'thoroughly abhorrent' crimes against a two-year-old girl.

Matthew Carter, 45, of Limassol Road, Dereham, was at Norwich Crown Court yesterday to face sentence for rape and possessing indecent images of children, which he admitted at an earlier hearing.

The court heard he had accessed indecent images of children on his computer and this led to him sexually abusing the child.

Sentencing him, Judge Maureen Bacon said that he had started by looking at indecent images of children for his own 'sexual gratification' before acting out his 'fantasy' and raping the girl.

'All this had been led up to by you looking at indecent images,' she said.

She said reports showed he posed a high risk to children and said while all child abuse cases were 'grave and serious' she said: 'The facts of this case are thoroughly abhorrent.'

She said that a degree of planning had gone into his sex assault on the child, as he had engineered the situation so he was left alone with the victim.

Jude Durr, prosecuting, said Carter was arrested following a complaint made by the victim to her family and in an impact statement read out in court the family said how traumatised they were by the actions of Carter.

Lori Tucker, for Carter, said that he deserved credit for his guilty plea: 'He appreciates what he has done and fully understands the impact he has had.'

She said that he had long-standing mental health issues and at the time of the offence had stopped taking his medication.

After the case Det Con Natalie Riseborough of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: 'This sentence highlights that we are committed to carrying out a full and thorough investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.'

She urged anyone who had been abused or sexually assaulted to come forward and said: 'Norfolk Constabulary, together with our partners within child protection, will provide help and support, and do all we can to identify, charge and bring those responsible before the courts.'

Carter was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life.