A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for ten years for raping a 15-year-old girl from Dursley.

Matthew Kenny, of Lysons Avenue, Gloucester, had denied three charges of rape of the girl between between September 2009 and May 2010 but after a three day trial the jury took only 45 minutes to convict him.

Gloucester Crown Court heard that he struck up a relationship with the girl, even though she was under age, and they frequently had sex with her consent - often in his car at Stinchcombe golf course.

However, there were occasions when she did not want to have sex and he forced himself on her, the jury heard.

After the jury found him guilty, defence solicitor Paul Trotman said: "He has completely devastated his life by these convictions. He has lost his job and his girlfriend as a result of this."

Jailing Kenny for a total of ten years, Judge Jamie Tabor QC said: "You chanced upon a vulnerable young girl. You knew from close to the outset that she was someone who was talking to the Samaritans and had great personal problems in her life.

"She was immensely vulnerable. You knew it and you took advantage of it."

He added: "You were not private about your activities. You boasted about it. You talked to others about it in front of her.

"I dread to think what long-term effect that is going to have on that young woman as I know that even minor acts of sexual indignity imposed on young women and men can devastate their lives.

"I have no doubt at all that you have done her serious psychological injury."

The judge jailed Kenny for ten years concurrently on each of the three charges and told him he would have to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

He also made a sexual offences prevention order against Kenny and said it would be in force until further notice.