Paul Hunt, the Stratford Paedophile, was incarcerated in 2023 for the repeated rape of a girl under the age of 13.
Paul Hunt, 35, of no permanent residence, was sentenced to 18 years’ incarceration at Snaresbrook Crown Court on June 29.
Paul Hunt was convicted of rape and sexual assault at the end of a trial on June 16.
He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The court heard how Paul Hunt groomed the girl throughout several visits to the house he was staying at in Stratford at the time.
On various occasions across three years in the 2000s, Hunt raped and sexually assaulted the girl.
He told her that no one would believe her if she told anyone about the abuse, police said.
But in 2018, the girl, now an adult, confronted Hunt and reported the matter to the police.
Officers undertook an investigation, gathering evidence and witness statements from years ago.
Paul Hunt was arrested but refused to answer questions during his police interview.
Det Insp Jeremy McDermott of the North East Command Unit said: “Paul Hunt exploited and took advantage of a vulnerable child on numerous occasions. He told the victim that she would not be believed.
“Despite this, she showed commendable bravery in coming forward and providing such strong evidence to police and at the trial.
“I hope that the sentence will bring her a small measure of comfort and a sense that justice has been done.
“I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime to come forward and speak to police; they will be supported, and their voice too can be heard.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.