Gallery: Tony Eccles at court
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Professional darts player Tony Eccles has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of raping a young girl.
The 44-year-old, of Northgate, Hartlepool, raped and indecently assaulted his victim, now in her 20s, when he lived in South Bank.
He denied 10 charges but was convicted by a jury after five hours of deliberations on Tuesday and was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court this afternoon.
Judge George Moorhouse said Eccles groomed a vulnerable girl and subjected her to "systematic serious abuse" including prolonged rapes.
The court heard the victim describe in a police interview how Eccles, whose darts nickname was The Viper, told her she was "special".
She told officers: "He would tell me I hadn't to tell anyone what had happened.
"He said he would go to prison for what he had done and I would go to a home for being dirty and letting him do what he had done."
The sexual assaults turned to rape, Eccles' victim told police, after he told her "you are going to be a big girl now because you are ready".
During the trial Eccles denied having any sexual interest in children and described the allegations as "complete and utter lies".
More on Tony Eccles:
Life on the oche: A look back at the darts career of Tony 'The Viper' Eccles
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