Northampton Man Jailed for 17-and-a-Half Years for Repeatedly Raping 11-Year-Old Girl

Andrew Brian Nicholls, 46, was sentenced to 17-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of 14 charges related to the abuse of an 11-year-old girl between 2014 and 2017. The abuse began when the girl walked in on Nicholls watching pornography and escalated to repeated rapes.

Nicholls, formerly of Camp Hill, Bugbrooke, was charged with multiple rapes, sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photos of a child. He was found guilty on all 14 charges by a jury at Northampton Crown Court on October 4th.

During sentencing on November 2nd, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo condemned Nicholls' actions, stating that he had robbed his victim of a happy and innocent childhood and forced her to live in fear. The judge highlighted that Nicholls continued to abuse the girl despite her withdrawal and encouraged others to turn on her after she reported the abuse to police.

Judge Mayo concluded that this was "sustained abuse of a particularly vulnerable victim." Upon release from prison, Nicholls will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.