A PAEDOPHILE who raped and sexually assaulted a teenage girl has been locked up behind bars.

Andrew Magee, of Widnes, was convicted of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault on the victim after being found guilty by the courts.

A judge heard how the now-41-year-old had been complimenting the victim before getting her alone.

He then began to touch her inappropriately and in a sexual manner before raping her.

The court heard she was terrified to speak out about what happened, but the police were informed.

Magee, of Browning Way, appeared back before Chester Crown Court on Monday, where he was sentenced by recorder Eric Lamb to 11 years in prison.

The court also imposed a restraining order and ordered the defendant to sign the sex offender register for life.

The sentence was welcomed by DS Anthony Evans who said: “Magee was well aware that the victim was underage, yet despite this, he chose to rape the teenager.

“His actions have had devastating consequences for the victim.

“But thankfully, as a result of the courage and bravery she has shown, Magee is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“While she will never be able to forget what happened, I hope that the sentence handed to him will provide her with some closure.”

A force spokesman added: “Cheshire Police treats all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously.

“Any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.”

To report any sexual offence, call Cheshire Police on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk