A MAN who sexually abused a vulnerable young girl has been jailed for nine years, and was condemned by a judge for his "disgraceful defence".

Michael Tonge, 35, of Leamington Road, Southend, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday following a week-long trial.

During the trial Diana Pigot, prosecuting, told the court that Tonge began to chat to the girl in 2019. They became close, and she described the girl as “vulnerable.”

She added that the girl became fond of him and she had said he made her feel special.

The court was also told that the online messages and later text messages were sexual and had developed into physical sexual acts.

Sentencing Tonge, Judge Samantha Cohen said: "I am satisfied you had full sex in Priory Park in Southend on a bench. She was in a state and you had taken the opportunity to have sex with her.

"She was in a state of distress and needed support and empathy but you took the opportunity to have sex.

"You risked pregnancy and did not use contraception. You told her you would get in trouble if anyone found out about it."

Tonge had strongly denied the charged and claims from the girl and repeatedly said she was lying and had made it all up.

Judge Cohen added: "She had lied to protect you and you had disgraceful defence that was used in the trial.

"There were thousands of obscene messages between the two of you about sex acts. In a victim impact statement she said her trust was eroded and she's fearful on her own home.

"She found the whole courts process upsetting and was tearful and stressed during it. You had good character but lost it and have gone down in the thinking of the average person and face being publicly labelled a paedophile."

In a police interview played during the trial the girl said he did not force her to have sex and she did consent to it.

She claimed he pulled her hair and strangled her and her had told him that she couldn’t breathe slightly and he had his hand around her throat for about two minutes.

DC Dean Perry, from Southend CID, said: “Tonge abused the trust shown to him by a teenage girl who looked up to him for support.

“He exploited her vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification, with a complete disregard for the harm it would cause her.

“He is a sexual predator and I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to put him behind bars where he belongs.”