A SCHOOL caretaker who tried to bribe his eight-year-old rape victim with sweets, has been jailed for a minimum of four years.

Stephen Chester, of Otford Close, Penge, was staying with a family in Croydon between December and January when he first attacked the girl.

She was in her pyjamas playing a computer game in the living room when he attacked her.

Her younger brother came in to the room during the incident, which she described as "nasty and disgusting", and Chester gave him and the victim money to buy sweets and told them not to tell their mother.

The 28-year-old, who is nicknamed Rambo, raped the girl again in her bedroom on March 19 but her 17-year-old sister came in and would not take his offer of money to keep quiet.

Croydon Crown Court heard Chester, a man of previous good character, immediately went to the town's police station and gave himself up.

Prosecutor Julius Capon said the victim's mother has stated her daughter's attitude has changed since the attacks.

He said: "She has become aggressive, rude, cheeky, bad tempered.

"She slams doors and has serious difficulties sleeping."

Pieter Briegel, mitigating, said there had been no question of Chester grooming the girl and told the court he had no history of sexual assault and the offences against the girl had not involved violence.

Chester admitted two counts of rape and on August 4 was sentenced to a minimum of four years and 47 days and put on the sex offenders' register for life.

Passing sentence, Judge Warwick McKinnon told Chester: "It is the most dreadful thing to violate an innocent child, not once, but twice.

"You made efforts to cover up what you did by making entreaties and trying to bribe them not to say anything. The degree of harm you inflicted is substantial.

"I am satisfied there is a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm and I must pass a sentence for public protection."

A parole board will decide when Chester will be released.