A former NSW policeman whose sexual assault of a girl began when she was 12 and progressed to rape has been sentenced to at least 10 years in jail.

Kevin Chivers, 60, served about 26 years as a police officer before he was arrested while at work in 2006 for the attacks, which began in 1997 and went on until 2003.

Chivers is already serving a minimum of three years and four months for the sexual assault of another girl in the early 1980s.

In the Downing Centre District Court on Friday, Chivers hung his head as he was sentenced to a non-parole period of at least 10 years, with a maximum sentence of 15 years, for 10 charges of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault on the young girl.

The woman, now 23, sobbed as details of the attacks on her were read to the court by Judge Robyn Tupman, who described them as a “gross violation of her bodily integrity”.

When she was just 12 years old, Chivers had thrown her down on a bed and performed oral sex on her and then forced her to watch while he masturbated, the judge said.

After he finished, Chivers allegedly told her, “Sorry mate, I just had to do that”.

Later, when she was older, he raped her and on one occasion beat her.

When she asked him, “Why me?” he allegedly responded, “Come on mate, we’re friends, we have a special bond. It’ll stop when you’re 18. It happens all the time – it’s very common.”

Eventually, the girl became resigned to her fate and did not fight his advances, Judge Tupman said.

“She had become resigned to ongoing sexual contact with the offender … she did not resist any longer because she had come to accept that this was what was expected of her,” the judge said.

“She thought she had no choice.

“She believed that she loved the offender and … she also believed that the offender also loved her and this was just part of what she had to endure in her life.”

Judge Tupman described Chivers’ actions as a “gross violation of trust”.

“Children are entitled to enjoy their childhood and to be children, not be used by adults in this way,” she said.

“It’s a gross violation of the trust children ought to feel they can place in all adults.”

Outside court the woman said Chivers could “burn in hell”, but she was very happy with the result.

“All smiles from me – time to move on. (I’m) very happy,” she told reporters.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Tupman said he accepted that Chivers had been suffering from depression and anxiety relating to his job as a police officer, but said this in no way explained his behaviour.

She acknowledged he was effectively in solitary confinement for most of his time in prison because he had to be kept in protective custody with 12 high profile offenders.

He refused to associate with them because he was afraid of them, and only conversed with one other former police officer inmate, she said.

“I accept that he has a fear, genuinely based, that he may be murdered in the jail system, if not seriously harmed,” she said.

Chivers will be eligible for parole on October 15, 2019.

SOURCE: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/excop-jailed-10-years-for-raping-girl-20091106-i215.html