A CO Antrim man has been jailed for two years for the rape and sexual assault of his niece.
The 61-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, had previously been found guilty of six charges he faced at his recent Belfast Crown Court trial.
The father-of-two had been convicted by a jury of four counts of rape, one charge of indecent assault and one of gross indecency.
The offences took place on dates between December 1973 and January 1977 when the defendant was aged 14-16 and his victim was between eight and 10-years-old.
The jury heard that the rape and sexual assaults had taken place in the girl's home and in her grandparent's home, including their bedroom.
During her evidence at the trial, the victim said each time after her uncle raped and sexually assaulted her he told her: "Don't tell anyone about what had happened''.
The victim, who is now in her 50s, later told her mother that the defendant had sexually abused her as a child. Her uncle was arrested by police but made no admissions.
In her victim impact statement, she described having long-term difficulties in her adult life, including depression, anxiety and "feelings of a lack of self worth''. She has received counselling and medication for her ongoing mental health issues.
Mr Justice Fowler said he determined that the degree of harm she suffered at the hands of her uncle was "significant''.
A Probation Service pre-sentence report said the defendant "continues to deny the offences but accepts the verdict of the jury and the consequences those will bring''.
He was assessed as a low risk of re-offending and did not pose a danger to the public.
Mr Justice Fowler said the victim should have "felt safe in her own home and that of her grandparents and there was a sense of a breach of trust in that there was an imbalance in power with the defendant being older than the complainant''.
"It is important to recognise the harm caused to the victim as she has endured the pain of this wrong for many years,'' said the judge.
However, he added that as part of his sentencing exercise he had to take into account that the defendant was also a child at the time of his offending.
Imposing a 24 month concurrent sentence on all charges, Mr Justice Fowler said the defendant would be placed on the sexual offenders' register for 10 years.
