Man convicted of raping schoolgirl
A MAN is facing a "significant" jail term after he was convicted of repeatedly raping a former Oakham schoolgirl while her mother was at work.
Stuart Morris was supposed to be looking after the youngster but indecently assaulted her on several occasions before "progressing" to rape.
After the first attack, Morris said to his victim, then aged nine: "We will keep it our little secret."
However years later she told a boyfriend what had happened then reported the incidents to police.
Giving evidence at Leicester Crown Court, Morris, 49, denied the offences had ever taken place.
But he was found guilty by a jury of three specimen counts of rape and one charge of indecent assault. All verdicts were by a majority of 10-2.
After the verdicts, Judge Michael Pert said: "Sexual offences are serious matters and it is plainly going to be a significant custodial sentence."
Morris, of West Walton Court, West Walton, Norfolk, was remanded in custody to face sentence on April 9.
The jury was told he would care for the girl at her home in Oakham while her mother worked evenings.
Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, said the first incident took place when Morris suggested to the girl that she could stay up late if she allowed him to touch her.
Morris touched the girl on a further "four or five" occasions then raped her "several times" before moving to Mareham, Norfolk.
But the girl went with her mother to visit him there and Morris carried out further sex attacks.
Morris' victim, now 21, told the hearing: "At first it was just tucking me into bed and giving me a kiss and cuddle.
"Then it became touching me in places where you should not touch a child and then it went onto sexual intercourse."
She said Morris threatened to hurt her mother if she told her what had happened.
The woman claimed that Morris had sex with her four or five times in Norfolk.
She said: "I just did it because I was scared. I did not want it to happen."
She said she eventually told her boyfriend, then her mother and the police, what had happened because it was affecting their relationship.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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