A MAN has been jailed for eight years after raping two young girls when he was a teenager.

Ben Gorner, of Radstock Road in Stretford, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court to be sentenced for multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.

The now 32-year-old handed himself into police after the women reported the incidents.

The crimes, which took place in Thelwall, first came to light in 2013 when one of the women told police she had been sexually assaulted when she was younger.

After the defendant was interviewed, the woman decided she did not want to pursue the allegations any further.

In June last year, the woman reported the crimes again and another younger woman also came forward to say she been raped by Gorner.

He admitted to all of the charges in a police interview.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, one of the women detailed the 'guilt and shame' she has lived with since the abuse.

She said: "It is difficult to express in words how these crimes have affected my life.

"I had depression in my teenage years and had a full breakdown after getting flashbacks of the abuse.

"I was terrified of everyone and was scared to live."

Mr Parry, Gorner's defence barrister, told the court that his client had not reoffended in the 15 years since and has no previous convictions.

He said: "This will be his first experience of custody.

"He is genuinely remorseful and understands the dreadful impact this had on people."

Jailing Gorner for eight years, judge Garrett Byrne said: "Your abuse had long lasting and serious effects on these women.

"It has affected every part of their lives - one girl made reference to self harm and suicidal thoughts in her impact statement.

"You were a child when you committed these crimes but you knew what you were doing was wrong."

A restraining order has also been put in place which bans Gorner from contacting the two girls for life.