A CHILD rapist who abused five youngsters over the course of more than a decade has been jailed for 20 years.

"Controlling" Kevin Dunford, 43, began to prey on the first of his victims in the 1980s when he himself was a teenager.

All of the victims are now adults, but were aged 13 or younger when they were abused.

When he was in his mid-20s, he told a girl more than 15 years his junior that they were in a relationship with each other before raping her in her own home.

The defendant - a former retained firefighter - was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault, four of indecency with a child, two of attempted rape and two of rape following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

He collapsed in the dock as Judge Jonathan Fuller told him he will spend at least 10 years behind bars before being released on licence.

The judge highlighted a "disturbing" incident when Dunford drove one of the victims to a secluded area before putting a shotgun in his mouth.

"You told her you were going to shoot yourself because you were worried that she was going to say something," he said.

"This was a warning to her that reduced her to screams of concern that she was going to witness a man kill himself by blowing his head off."

The defendant was once overheard by the child's parents telling her that she must choose between him and her family - an attempt to control her that was tantamount to "cruel emotional blackmail," Judge Fuller said.

It is believed Dunford, of Bayfran Way in Blandford, first abused a child in 1985.

The most recent offence before the court took place in the late 1990s.

Judge Fuller said the defendant was "manipulative" even when committing his earliest offences at the age of around 14.

"You were already of the mindset to take advantage of those who were younger," he said.

"With threats, you were capable of getting your own way."

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Ade Stocker, of Dorset Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Firstly, I would like to praise the victims for their bravery in coming forward and reporting these crimes. They showed strength and courage in speaking up and in the subsequent court case.

“Dunford abused these victims for his own gratification over a sustained period of time. His actions were sickening and the sentence handed down by the courts shows that the criminal justice system will actively and robustly deal with offenders of child abuse.

“If you have suffered from sexual abuse I hope this case will give you the courage to come forward and report it to the police. We will thoroughly investigate such offences, we will safeguard victims and we will bring offenders to justice.”

Dunford formerly worked for Dorset County Council's highways division.

He was suspended in September 2014, but returned to work on limited duties 10 months later after council bosses completed a "thorough risk assessment".

A spokesperson from the council said: "These duties were carried out under supervision and did not include any contact with the public.

"Now that he has been found guilty and sentenced, we will look to terminate his contract with immediate effect.”

A spokesperson from the Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said: "Kevin Dunford was employed as an on-call firefighter at Blandford fire station, having started his employment with us in 2006 – many years after the offences occurred.

"Once Dorset Fire and Rescue Service became aware of the charges against him, we suspended him from duty and he has not been responding to fire calls since that time.

"In light of the guilty verdicts reached by the jury at Bournemouth Crown Court, we will now conclude the disciplinary proceedings against him.

"As an organisation, we are completely committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of young people, and our sympathies are with the victims in this case."