A SEX offender from Basingstoke who raped and molested a young girl, has been told by top judges he cannot complain about his jail term.

Ashley James Orsborn, pictured, of no fixed abode in Basingstoke, was found guilty of abusing his victim when she was just eight-years-old but has now argued his jail term was too tough. 

At Winchester Crown Court in March, Orsborn was found guilty of two counts of rape and two of sexual assault and sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment with a one-year extension on his license.

On Friday Orsborn appeared via over a video link from prison at the Court of Appeal, in London, where his lawyers criticised the length of his sentence.

They said that while the victim had suffered psychological harm as a result of his crimes, it was “not severe harm”.

But, rejecting the appeal, Lord Justice Burnett said it was clear the girl continues to be seriously affected by her ordeal at Orsborn’s hands.

Sitting with Mr Justice Wyn Williams and Mr Justice Supperstone, he added: “The subsequent events, as described by the victim’s GP and her mother, indicate not only that she has suffered severe psychological harm, but that it was appropriate for the judge to consider it to have been extreme.”

The child is now aged 14 years old.

Following Orsborn’s sentence, Simon Jones, Senior Crown Advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service in Wessex, said: “Ashley Orsborn was 19 when he committed his first offence of rape against a child who was only aged eight at the time.

“Four years later, he carried out a further offence of rape against the same child who was then 12.

“He also sexually assaulted her on two occasions when she was 12. The child did not want to report to anyone what Ashley Orsborn did to her because she was too scared.

“There is no doubt that the defendant took advantage of the victim’s young age and vulnerability.

“During the period of time he committed his offences he was able to get on with his life, whilst the victim had to live with her terrible and heavy secret.

“She has been left traumatised by her ordeal, which has had a devastating impact on her childhood and pre-teens years.”