A RAPIST who filmed himself having sex with an underage girl during a campaign of sexual offending against her was jailed for eight years eight months.

Sobbing David Ballinger was told by a judge at Gloucester Crown Court that his behaviour towards the girl was 'depraved' and he had 'completely ruined her life.'

Ballinger pleaded guilty to orally raping a girl under 13 between March 2011 and March 2014.

He also admitted raping the same girl in the same way between March 2017 and January this year on at least two separate occasions.

And he admitted sexual activity with the girl on at least seven occasions between March 2014 and March 2017 by touching her breasts and private parts.

In addition, Ballinger pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism by installing a camera so he could watch the girl and three offences of possession of child porn - 9 videos and a still picture at the worst Category A level, 24 stills and 162 videos of Category B and 935 stills and 206 videos of Category C.

James Ward, prosecuting, said the offences all came to light when the girl's mother called police to her home in Winchcombe on January 18 this year and told them her daughter had been sexually abused by Ballinger.

The mother had discovered what was going on when she looked at the girl's iPad. It showed the girl had sent sexual photos and videos of herself to Ballinger.

The girl had also spoken on the iPad about Ballinger touching her sexually and she giving him oral sex.

When police interviewed the girl she said she had been sexually abused by Ballinger and they had used the iPad to communicate with each other.

However, Mr Ward said, the first rape charge Ballinger admitted related to the girl fellating him in November 2011. Ballinger had filmed it in a video lasting 1 minute 53 secs.

The judge did not view the video in court but read a full description of it.

The other rape charge related to similar activity when the girl was older, said the prosecutor.

He told the court the sexual activity charge related to Ballinger touching her on the breasts and vagina at least 7 times.

Throughout Mr Ward's address to the court, Ballinger sat with head bowed and tearful in the dock.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC said he had read a victim personal statement from the girl and its contents were 'painful.'

It showed the long term impact the offences had on the girl, he said.

Eugene Hickey, defending, said Ballinger had always been a 'grafter and a hard worker' and was of previous good character.

The only real mitigation for Ballinger was that he had pleaded guilty at the earliest stage and saved the girl having to come to court or give evidence, Mr Hickey said.

"He is devastated and recognises his many years of wrong doing," the lawyer added.

Jailing Ballinger for a total of eight years eight months, judge Lawrie said it would have been thirteen years if he had not pleaded guilty and earned the maximum one-third discount from his sentence.

"It is important that you appreciate the magnitude of the harm you have caused," the judge told Ballinger.

"The passage of time is not going to assuage the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that are the consequences of this behaviour."

The judge told Ballinger he would have to sign the sex offender register for the rest of his life.

After sending Ballinger down to the cells, the judge cleared the court so he could speak privately to relatives of the girl who had been waiting all day to hear his fate.