AN ILLEGAL immigrant who raped a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for eight years.

Paul Banton befriended the girl's family and wormed his way into her affections.

But when the girl's mother was out, 35-year-old Banton invited himself to her house and raped her.

The screaming girl begged him to stop and ran out of the house in tears after the attack.

He then sent indecent pictures to the girl's mobile and waited for her mother to leave the home before inviting himself in again.

The next time he indecently assaulted her on the staircase.

When the girl plucked up the courage to tell her mother four years later, the family confronted Jamaican-born Banton, of Belmont Park, Lewisham, who denied the accusations.

After being arrested, he said: "She's lying. She's trying to get attention."

Before appearing in court, the girl said: "I did not want to upset my mother.

"I didn't think she would believe me because she had let a man into the house who she thought she could trust."

Banton, who came to the UK in 2000 and overstayed his student visa, denied rape and indecent assault between January 1 and December 31, 2002.

But Banton was convicted by a jury at Blackfriars Crown Court.

Sentencing him on October 12, Judge Henry Blacksell said: "You sought out this vulnerable girl and waited until she was on her own.

"You abused her in the most dreadful and depraved way by taking advantage of a 12-year-old.

"She told you to get off and ran out of the house when you had finished and had your way with her.

"You showed a cold disregard to a vulnerable young girl.

"By calling her a liar you made her life even more difficult and you got away with this for some time."

Banton will be deported when he has served his sentence.