A Framlingham man who groomed and raped two young girls has been jailed for 16 years.

Sentencing, Judge Emma Peters told Dean Thomas at Ipswich Crown Court he had groomed the victims and encouraged them to keep what he had done to them a secret.

Thomas, 33, of Fairfield Road, Framlingham, had denied 12 offences of raping a child under 13, two offences of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two offences of attempted rape, two offences of attempting to assault a child under 13, two offences of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and two offences of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences date back to 2015.

He was convicted by a jury after a trial at the court last month of two offences of raping a child under 13.

The jury was unable to reach verdicts on the remaining charges and these were left on file after the prosecution decided not to seek a retrial.

In addition to being jailed for 16 years Thomas was given a one year extended licence period.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for life and ordered to sign the sex offenders's register indefinitely.

Stephen Rose, for Thomas, said his client had no previous convictions for sexual contact offences but had a previous conviction for indecent exposure.