A “dangerous” paedophile who sexually abused a schoolgirl in Greenwich for a number of years starting when she was only seven years old has been jailed.

Vinh Van Vu, 32, of Tweedle Hill Road in Manchester, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for multiple counts of sexual assault and rape.

The abuse continued across several different addresses across Greenwich until 2016.

In early 2016 the girl contacted Childline using their internet chat service to tell them about the abuse she had been suffering from.

She talked with the staff at Childline several times before deciding to tell police.

Detectives spoke to her over the phone and sent specialist officers over to her home where she was able to tell them about her history of abuse. Vu was arrested later that day.

He was brought to trial before Woolwich Crown Court where he was found guilty of on November 2 following a two-day trial.

He and was sentenced on November 24 to 15 years in prison with a five-year extended licence period.

DS Colin Cooper, of the Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: “Vinh Van Vu is a dangerous individual who poses a serious risk to children and I am content that he has been put behind bars for a significant amount of time.

“The courage of one young girl speaking up against what is wrong has helped justice to be served today.

“I want this case to demonstrate how any child or vulnerable person who is currently suffering abuse needs to speak to just one person - any person they trust.

“Once the abuse has been reported, we will take it from there. We have specially trained officers who handle cases sensitively and will support victims through the process of giving evidence to police and bringing offenders to justice.

“I would also like to highlight the work of Childline, who spoke to the victim a number of times via a chat room, supported her and made her feel confident enough to report the horrific abuse she had suffered to police. This service proved to be invaluable in this case.”

A spokesperson from NSPCC, who run Childline, said: “It takes a lot of courage for victims of child sexual abuse to confide in another person about their experiences but, as this case highlights, when they do take that step - justice can prevail.

“During her darkest hour, Van Vu’s victim placed her trust in Childline’s specially trained volunteer counsellors to speak out about the horrific ordeal she had suffered. As a result, she found the courage to speak to the police.

“The awful campaign of abuse she endured will have long-lasting effects and ongoing support is now vitally important.

“Childline is there for any child, on the phone or online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week - including Christmas day - to get help and advice about a wide range of issues. They can call 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk

“Adults concerned about a child can call the NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000.”