A MAN has been jailed for nine years for sexually abusing a boy over the course of nearly a decade.

Joe Lloyd, now 29, assaulted the boy on several occasions between 2004 and 2012.

Over the course of that eight-year period he subjected the boy to sexual assaults, including rapes, gradually becoming more serious over time.

The offences came to light when they were reported to Essex Police in May 2017 and Lloyd was arrested the same month

Specialist detectives from the force's Adult Sexual Assault Investigation Team (ASAIT) carried out an investigation into the offences with Lloyd appearing at Basildon Magistrates' Court in March last year to face multiple charges.

He denied the charges but was convicted of 19 counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault at Basildon Crown Court on 18 February.

At the same court today (Thursday 25 February), Lloyd, of Ullswater Road, London, SE27 was jailed for nine years and put on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Investigating officer Police Constable Karen Smale, from ASAIT, said: "Joe Lloyd subjected his victim to years of repeated abuse. He paid little regard for his victim's welfare, instead manipulated them for his own sexual gratification.

"This investigation has involved years of painstaking detective work to secure this conviction and sentencing and I want to thank the victim for their support.

"They have shown incredible courage, firstly to come forward and report what happened and then to have to re-live the ordeal through a trial.

"No sentence can reverse the past but I hope this goes some way to help them move forward.

"I hope this sentence shows that it's never too late to get justice and I would urge any other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and report it to us".

If you want to report an offence you can call us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.