During the trial, the court heard how the offences began when the victim was just nine years old.
Over the next two years Hatton’s abuse escalated further, as he began to rape and sexually assault the child on a regular basis.
The victim described how she was terrified of Hatton, and when she would try to tell him to stop, he threatened to take her to his home and torture her. She would try to ignore him, hoping this would stop him from abusing her, but no matter what the victim did, Hatton’s offending continued.
The abuse eventually came to light in July 2023 when the victim sought the courage to tell her mum what Hatton was doing to her, and the matter was immediately reported to Cheshire Police.
During questioning by detectives, Hatton denied all of the allegations against him.
Detective sergeant Ryan Crawford said: “Firstly, I want to praise the victim for the courage that she has shown throughout this investigation.
“Hatton is clearly a sexual predator, whose only interest is to fulfil his own sexual gratification. He showed no regard for the victim and even when faced with the mountain of evidence against him, he refused to plead guilty to any of the charges.
“Instead, he forced his victim to relive their experiences in court, which could not have been easy for them.
“Thankfully, as a result of the bravery of the victim, and the evidence we gathered, the jury have seen through his lies, and he is now being held accountable for his actions.
“I hope that the sentence handed to Hatton will provide the victim with some closure and allow her to move forward with her life, knowing that he will never be able do the same to any other children.”
In addition to the custodial sentence Hatton was ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for life.
Detective sergeant Crawford added: “Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.
“Cheshire Constabulary takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.
“Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.
“To report any sexual offence, call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit the website.”
