A paedophile police constable who raped a 13-year-old girl has been jailed for 25 years.

Ian Naude was warned to expect a significant jail sentence when he was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court last month of raping and sexually assaulting the teenager, who he met while serving with Cheshire Police.

Sentencing Naude to 25 years in prison with an extended licence period of five years, Judge Clement Goldstone said: "In order to impose your will on a young girl, three weeks past her 13th birthday, and to commit offences of rape and sexual assault against her, you used and abused your position as a Cheshire Police officer, thereby enabling you to satisfy your lust and perversion."

The trial heard the 30-year-old, of Market Drayton in Shropshire, joined the force in April 2017 and had ambitions of working in a unit dealing with vulnerable youngsters.

He was said to be obsessed with taking the virginity of teenage girls and groomed victims over social media.

He would blackmail and threaten vulnerable girls, persuade them to send pictures of themselves undressed, tell them to call him "daddy" and send them videos of himself masturbating.

He had denied raping his victim, telling the jury the sex was consensual and she "seemed to be enjoying it."

The court heard he had met the girl when he was called to a domestic incident at her home in October last year and days later picked her up in his car and raped her in the back seat, filming the assault on his phone.

The jury found him guilty of a further four charges of attempting to arrange commission of a child sex offence and one charge of arranging commission of a child sex offence.

Naude will also be sentenced for 30 offences which he admitted, including inciting children to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photos of children and misconduct in a public office.

Following last month's verdicts, it was revealed Naude was named as a suspect in cases in neighbouring forces before he took up a post with Cheshire Police.

The force said the father-of-one's appointment was delayed from January 2017 to April because he was alleged to have raped a woman in Staffordshire.

No further action was taken in the case and Naude was allowed to join but reports of child grooming in Staffordshire and West Mercia which named him as a suspect in January and February 2017 were not picked up by Cheshire Police until after his arrest in November that year.

Acting chief constable Janette McCormick said processes had been changed since Naude's arrest.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “Naude appallingly abused his position to gain power over a 13-year-old and get her alone in order to satisfy his perverted sexual desires.

“She showed immense bravery in giving evidence about her terrifying ordeal, which has led to this dangerous predator being jailed and stopped from targeting more young girls.

“Naude used social media networks to contact all his victims.

"The NSPCC wants a new, independent regulator with the power to fine social media companies who don’t do enough to root out this sickening behaviour.”

If you are concerned about a child, call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005 000. Children in need of support can contact Childline on 0800 1111.