A sex attacker has been jailed after a teenager plucked up the courage go to the police about her childhood ordeal.

The 19-year-old, who cannot be named, reported her attacker after a decade of silence.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the County Durham teenager broke down and told her boyfriend about her ordeal at the hands of Richard Bond after watching TV.

She told police how the 61-year-old launched a two-year campaign of abuse against her, starting when she was eight, which led to him trying to rape her.

Anne Richardson, prosecuting, told the court how the abuse started with him exposing himself to her, but it gradually got worse.

The court heard how Bond warned the girl that she would get into trouble if she spoke of what he was doing to her.

Bond, now of Abbey Street, Hull, but who lived in Penshaw, Wearside, denied two charges of indecency with a child, one of indecent assault and one of attempted rape but was convicted of all four counts.

After the verdict, the jury was told that Bond was convicted in April 2000 of gross indecency with a child.

Defence barrister Michael Hodson told the court: "He has accepted responsibility for his offending, although it has to be said reluctantly."

Judge Michael Cartlidge jailed Bond for five years with a two-year extended licence period after his release.