A paedophile who filmed himself raping a child has been jailed for 21 years.

John-Paul Zegstroo, 28, twice tried to evade justice by making unnecessary trips to York and Scarborough Hospital and getting doctors there to examine him when he was perfectly well, York Crown Court heard.

But he was arrested immediately after the second hospital visit and brought to court to stand his trial.

The court heard the child’s natural development has been affected by his actions.

Zegstroo, of Overdale Gardens, Scarborough, was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape, three of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one of sexual assault and two relating to indecent images of children.

Calling Zegstroo’s crimes “extremely serious offending,” Judge Simon Hickey jailed him for 21 years.

He also put him on the sex offenders’ register and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order aimed at preventing him having contact with children in future. Both orders are for life.

“How you tried to delay justice by pretending you were ill when you were not shows your character,” the judge told Zegstroo.

On the day his trial was due to start, Zegstroo went to York Hospital claiming he was ill. But doctors there examined him thoroughly and gave him a clean bill of health, the judge said.

Jurors had to be told the trial had been delayed by a day.

“The next day in the early hours, he presented himself to Scarborough Hospital in a clear attempt, in my judgement, to avoid trial again. Again, he was examined thoroughly and given a clean bill of health,” the judge said.

“This time I had taken the step of having officers waiting for him, he was arrested and brought to court to stand trial.”

Zegstroo had lied throughout the court process and to medical experts after his conviction who were trying to assess his mental state, the judge said. He had given different stories to the medical experts and to the probation officer.

For Zegstroo, Gillian Shepherd said, according to the probation report Zegstroo was remorseful and ashamed of what he had done.

Detective Constable Laura Carroll said after the hearing: “He has shown absolutely no remorse or acceptance of his crimes.

“Zegstroo will now be locked-up in prison for a very long time, and his every move will be closely monitored by the authorities for the rest of his days.”