A SEX attacker who subjected a schoolgirl to a "humiliating and terrifying" ordeal should spend the rest of his life behind bars, says the victim's devastated mother.

John Newton, 33, today began a 10-year sentence after Preston Crown Court heard how he kidnapped his 15-year-old victim from Clayton-le-Moors, before carrying out a series of depraved attacks over a five-hour period.

Judge David Clarke praised the bravery of the schoolgirl and the quick thinking of two passers by who alerted police.

Newton, a father-of-three from the Radcliffe area, admitted kidnapping and attempting to rape the teenager, along with four counts of indecent assault.

He was sentenced to 10 years and a further five years under supervision of the probation service.

Newton, whose estranged partner is pregnant, has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for life and is likely to serve around seven years of his sentence.

After the case, police spoke of the victim's mother's disappointment.

Detective Inspector Tony Harling, of Blackburn CID, said: "The mother was not fully aware of the full circumstances and obviously she was very shocked and alarmed by the unimaginable behaviour of this monster.

"She believes this man should be kept in prison for the rest of his life, but unfortunately the court's hands were tied because Newton had not committed any previous offences." "Obviously this young girl is deeply distressed and still traumatised by what happened to her.

"She still suffers from severe bouts of depression and this whole affair has had a deep impact on her life.

"Newton is a very dangerous man and if two members of the public had not been so vigilant we probably would be looking at a prolonged missing person case with all likelihood would have ended with the discovery of a body."

Newton, who wept throughout the hearing, was described as a loving family man who was well thought of by his neighbours and friends.

His pregnant partner has been left shocked and devastated by the attack and wrote to the court to say Newton was a decent and loving man.

The chemical process worker claimed he was driven by fantasies of abusing schoolgirls and had a serious drug problem.

In a confession to police, he said "I always felt in my own mind I was evil and now I know." Newton collected clippings of schoolgirls taken from his local newspaper, the Bury Times, and stalked his victim before he finally struck in June.

During the attack, he told the girl he knew where she lived, how old she was and what kind of school uniform she wore.

John Jackson, prosecuting, gave details of the prolonged attacks which ended when police arrested Newton in a lay-by in Wincham, near Northwich, Cheshire.

A local couple, Mr and Mrs Ashburner, alerted police when they saw Newton standing over the boot of his car and what appeared to be a girl's legs sticking out.

The judge added: "I must say that this young girl behaved throughout with great courage and a good deal of common sense despite her age and the ordeal she went through."

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