A former RAF serviceman has been handed an 11-year jail sentence for molesting a three-year-old girl after he returned from Cyprus on leave.

Stuart Taylor, 53, was last month found guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting the girl at her home in West Oxfordshire in the early 2000s.

Jurors at the time heard that the girl told her mother that Taylor had ‘fiddled’ with her.

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Sitting in the dock at Oxford Crown Court today (Thursday, November 2), Taylor heard about the impact his crime has had on the girl.

In a statement read out by prosecutor Brian Reece, the victim said: “This crime has had a massive emotional impact.

“I feel anxious when I go out to places and I don’t know who’s around.

“When I hear people talking about the same sort of crimes, I can’t deal with it and I emotionally shut down.

“Unfortunately I have tried to take my own life before because I felt I could no longer cope with how I was feeling.

“The crime has affected me in the way that I lack confidence in myself. I’m always second guessing myself.

“I don’t see this beautiful young girl. I see this disgusting young girl who is awful.

“I always have to call my mum on the way home because I would have a panic attack if I didn’t.

“I feel it’s so unfair I’m left with the trauma, mental pain and financial loss for what he did to me. I didn’t do anything wrong and I’m the one constantly worried.

“He’s put me through the ordeal of a trial which feels like being abused all over again.”

In mitigation, defence barrister Julian Lynch pointed to his client’s diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome as well as health issues with diabetes and an ongoing heart condition.

Taylor maintained his innocence as he sat in the dock wearing a grey long sleeved top.

He looked straight ahead as Judge Michael Gledhill KC passed down an eight year sentence and a three year sentence to be served consecutively, with a three year sentence to be served concurrently.

Judge Gledhill said: “You did what you could to make sure the defendant didn’t tell her mother what you were doing.

“You told her it was your ‘secret’. A secret between the two of you and she had to tell nobody…

“You put her through the ordeal and made it worse by accusing her of being a liar.”

Taylor previously had two convictions, 12 years apart, for possessing and making indecent images of children, which had led to his dismissal from the RAF.