Dave Roper, 58, who lived in Epping Forest at the time, had reportedly frequently abused the victim as a child, who now has life-long anonymity.
Roper now resides in Stanley Avenue in Romford, and attended a voluntary interview in October 2022 where he denied the allegations after it was first reported to police in June that year.
The victim-survivor decided to speak out to officers almost 20 years after the repeated sexual assaults.
An investigation was launched straight away and after interviewing him, he was later charged with four counts of indecent assault and two charges of indecency with a child under 14.
Roper was unanimously convicted of each charge following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Last month, he was jailed for 16 years, with an extended licence period of two years.
He will remain subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 25 years.
Describing the impact of the abuse to the court, the victim said: “What happened to me as a child is something I buried deep inside for many years.
“I couldn’t face it until adulthood because the trauma was too overwhelming.
“I learned to survive by suppressing it again and again, until I became numb, but as I have grown I have realised that numbness was never healing.
“The scars this has left on me aren’t visible, but they run deep inside me.
“They have shaped who I am, how I live, and how I see the world.
“After all these years, I am only just beginning to try and accept what was done to me, and to try to start the long journey of healing and acceptance.”
Following the court case, she added that it still continues to affect her “every single day” and shapes how she feels, thinks and copes with many parts of her life.
She explained: “The past does not disappear once a verdict is reached, and I still live with the weight of those experiences.
“The support I received throughout the investigation and trial was invaluable.
“It gave me strength in moments where I felt overwhelmed and helped me to navigate a process that was often difficult and emotional.”
Detective Constable Rachel Horton, officer in the case and a member of CAIT, said: “There is no ticking clock or deadline when it comes to our investigations into offences as serious as sexual abuse.
“Even if offences are non-recent, as long ago as 20 years in this case, we will still listen.
“We will still investigate, we will still treat the matter as seriously as if it had just happened yesterday.”
