"The mental scarring it has left on me is enormous."
Mehran Ansari, aged 56, of Leeds, was jailed for 13 years. The paedophile had preyed on a girl multiple times.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the abuse began when she was under 13-years-old.
After years of silence, the victim reported Ansari to police and he was arrested.
During the trial, the victim, now an adult, had to relive her ordeal when she gave evidence.
Ansari told his legal team to accuse the woman of being a liar when she was cross-examined.
Despite his instructions, the paedophile was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13 and two of sexual activity with a girl under 16.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said:
“To try to express my feelings in writing and express how these events have affected me is very difficult to do.
“It has taken a long time to disclose the sexual assaults to my family and make a statement to the police.
“Coming to court and having my story rubbished and being called a liar is the most intimidating experience of my adult life.
“I do not wish this on anyone.
“My life has turned into a nightmare because of what Mehran Ansari has done to me.
“The mental scarring it has left on me is enormous.
“I am easily irritated and will snap at the people I love over silly things.
“When I am not angry I suffer from terrible anxiety and self-loathing.
“I have battled the thoughts inside my head and I am exhausted. I was a lost child and did not know what to do or how to express myself.
“I am glad that the jury believed what I have told them.
“It is the truth, although I wish that it wasn’t.”
In mitigation, Glenn Parson said Ansari has no other convictions.
He said: “As a result of these convictions he has lost his good character and standing that he had in his community.
“He attends today knowing that he will lose his liberty for a very significant period of time.”
Recorder Wheeler told the paedophile:
“You appeared before this court and had the opportunity to plead guilty.
“But you did not take that opportunity.
“You pushed this matter to a trial and you forced (the victim) to relive what you had done to her.”
“That clearly, as you will remember, caused her distress.
“She was cross-examined, on your instructions, on the basis that she was a liar.
“The jury’s decision is that you are the liar in all of this and not (the victim). You are still in denial about these offences.
“You took away this young girl’s childhood and her innocence. You have effectively ruined her life.
“On one occasion she tried to end that life while she was still a young teenager.
“This was a result of what you had done to her.”
Ansari was jailed for 13 years. He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for life.