A GIRL who was repeatedly raped by a former Scouting vol-unteer said the man had ruined her life.

Michael Drinkwater, 36, is beginning an indefinite jail sentence after he admitted first attacking his victim when she was just 13 years old.

He raped her 14 times over two years and also indecently assaulted her 13-year-old friend at Bowley Scout camp in Great Harwood.

The girl, who is now 15, said the period of abuse, which only ended in January when police were called, had had a huge impact on her life.

She said: "My whole life has changed, I will never forget what has happened to me.

"I get very emotional all of the time because of what happened to me. I could be getting on with my daily life and then what happened pops into my head and I can't stop crying.

"It is really difficult to have relationships with people, even my family.

"I feel stressed all of the time and find I take it out on those closest to me which makes it difficult for me at home."

Burnley Crown Court heard how Drinkwater, of Exchange Street, Accrington used sex toys and "dirty dare games" and thought there was nothing wrong with his behaviour.

Alexandra Simmons, prosecuting, said he tried to blame the child for being "sexually precocious".

She said that he touched the other victim, also aged 13, at Bowley Scout Camp, Great Harwood where he "adopted a liberal attitude" towards the girls, playing games, talking about sex and offering drink.

At court the defendant was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection.

He must serve at least four years, 286 days before the parole board considers whether or not he is safe to be released. He is also banned from working with children and put on the sex offenders register for life.

Drinkwater admitted assault by penetration, three specimen counts of rape and one of sexual activity with a child between March 2005 and the end of last year.

Judge Jonathan Woolman said that it was alarming to read in the defendant's pre-sentence report he was trying to blame the girl.

He said: "There is a risk of you committing this sort of offence again and there must be a significant risk of you causing serious psychological damage."

Miss Simmons told the court the offences came to light when another girl's mother alerted police over unsavoury text messages on her daughter's phone which appeared to be from the defendant.

The girl was interviewed by police and said Drinkwater was having sex with one of her friends.

She said the defendant had a bag of sex toys and porn dvds which he played in her presence and which made her feel uncomfortable. She told officers she heard the defendant asking the rape victim for sex.

The defendant was arrested in January and the rape victim was interviewed. She told police Drinkwater had first touched her indecently a couple of weeks after her 13th birthday and she had been shocked and upset.

The girl told police Drinkwater had sex with her on a number of occasions and put his hand over her mouth to stop her crying.

Paul Humphries, defending, said Drinkwater was very open about what happened and would say he had done nothing wrong. He could and would, address his offending behaviour whilst in custody.