Repeatedly raped and abused a child.

A child rapist who spent his life on Liverpool's streets has been jailed for 13 years and nine months for horrific acts of sexual abuse against a young girl.

David Whiteside, 36, raped the child nine times and committed five other sexually abusive acts against her in Kirkby. He denied his crimes in court, forcing his victim to relive the abuse in a trial.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she couldn't even go into Liverpool city centre, where she knew Whiteside begged on the streets, for fear of bumping into him.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said she only realized the extent of Whiteside's abuse after learning about sex education at school.

"I hope he suffers like he has made me suffer," she said. "I wake up in the night with terrors, crying, remembering what he did."

The woman said Whiteside would tell her "You know you want it" as he raped her. She said she was a shy child but his abuse "made me withdraw into myself even more" and added "I didn't have an ounce of confidence at all."

After his trial, she said she was "angry David did all those things" and that he "forced" her to "go through the ordeal again."

Whiteside, of Prescot Road, Old Swan, was found guilty after a trial of nine counts of rape of a child, four counts of sexually assaulting a girl with no penetration and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Sentencing Whiteside, Judge Garrett Byrne said there had been a "devastating and long lasting effect" on his victim. He noted that Whiteside "singled her out" and also "threatened her."

Whiteside will spend at least half of his custodial term - around six years and 10 months - behind bars. He will then only be released before the end of his sentence if a parole board considers he is no longer a risk.

A restraining order preventing Whiteside from contacting his victim was imposed for life. He must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same amount of time.