Augsut 2020 Monstrous paedophile raped young girl more than 40 times A monstrous paedophile raped a young girl more than 40 times in what a judge described as a “campaign of rape”. Kevin Clegg was found guilty of carrying out a minimum of 44 offences of rape on the child over a period of six years. The 37-year-old also committed 42 other sexual offences, 20 of which involved him encouraging her to rub his private parts. Liverpool Crown Court today heard Clegg, from Bootle, ruined the girl’s childhood and left her emotionally scarred. Judge Denis Watson, QC, said he subjected the “extremely vulnerable” victim to “a campaign of rape and sexual abuse”. And he told Clegg any admissions he made were simply him “minimising” his crimes “as much as you possibly could”. Clegg pleaded guilty to two offences – one count of sexual assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said this was touching the girl’s breasts and genitalia over clothing, and making her rub his genitals. However, Clegg denied 10 further offences, including six counts of rape, one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual assault of a child, assault by penetration, and sexual assault. Some of these counts referred to multiple instances of abuse, for example 20 rapes in one count. Clegg, of no fixed address, stood trial last month – meaning the traumatised girl had to give evidence – when he was convicted of the 10 offences. When he gave evidence, Clegg claimed he only kissed the girl once and told the jury that he stood by what he said in a police interview. But within minutes of saying that, when Ms Snowdon pointed out he said in his interview there were a further two or three incidents when he kissed the girl after that first kiss, he claimed his answer in the interview was a “mistake”. Judge Watson today said: “The jury rejected your evidence.”