A RAPIST who became “obsessed” with and “forced himself” on a young girl, before threatening to injure her mother if she reported the attack, has been jailed.

Nathan Griffiths denied two offences of rape dating back to between January 2014 and January 2015.

Both offences involved the same child, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time, and took place on the same date.

He was unanimously found guilty of both charges by a jury in July.

During the trial, the jury heard that the offences took place at a property in the Newcastle Emlyn area, while the victim was alone with the defendant.

They had been playing Minecraft together, when Griffiths asked her multiple times for oral sex. The victim refused each time.

“She was refusing to do what he wanted, but there came a point he forced her to do so,” prosecutor Robin Rouch said.

Griffiths forced the victim in to oral sex, before he then vaginally raped her.

The jury heard the defendant had developed an “unhealthy interest” in the victim, causing her to be “really worried” about seeing him even after she no longer lived in the area.

She said she blocked him – and several accounts she believed to be him due to them continuing conversations from other accounts – on social media.

The police became aware of the allegations after the victim reported them to another party around the time of her 18th birthday.

She had not told anyone about the rapes sooner as she was scared because the defendant threatened to get someone to injure her mum if she said anything.

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In a statement, read to the court by Mr Rouch, the victim said: “I found talking to the police incredibly difficult. I was scared to come forward for many years.

“I was scared about what Nathan would do if I ever reported it.

“I found the whole process difficult. I started having flashbacks daily.

“The whole incident has had a huge impact on my life, and continues to do so.”

David Singh, defending, said a psychiatric report showed Griffiths, now 33, was immature for his age, and suffered from mental and physical conditions.

“He was an adult at the time,” he said. “If he is immature now, he certainly would have been immature at 23 or 24.

“He became infatuated with her.

“This is a man with very, very limited experience in sexual matters.”

Griffiths was previously of clean character, Mr Singh added.

Sentencing Griffiths, Judge Geraint Walters said: “You developed an obsession with her. You considered her to be a future partner of yours. On this occasion, you forced yourself upon her by committing an oral rape and a vaginal rape.

“She told the jury that she didn’t tell anyone about what had happened on the basis that you had threatened her and her mother.

“What you did that day had a profound effect on your victim, and continues to have a profound effect.”

Griffiths, of Golwg Y Castell in Cardigan, was jailed for six years for each offence, both running concurrently. He must register as a sex offender for life, and his victim was granted an indefinite restraining order against him.