A former Barton Rovers footballer has been sentenced to five years in jail after being convicted of rape.

Kieran Hamilton, 21, played and scored for Barton the day after he was convicted in March this year.

He groomed a teenage girl, then aged 14, on Snapchat before raping and threatening to blackmail her.

In an impact statement read out in court, the victim described how the incident had left her having "suicidal thoughts".

Hamilton, of Chesford Road in Luton, added the victim on Snapchat in December 2018, before convincing her to send him explicit pictures. He was aged 17 at the time.

Hamilton then used these images as leverage over the victim, forcing her to meet up with him in Luton twice, in January and February.

During both meetings, Hamilton forced his victim to engage in sexual activity with him in public places, including raping her on one occasion.

The victim told police that she felt she had to do what Hamilton wanted so that he would not share the photos of her.

After the second incident the victim spoke to her mother and they reported Hamilton to Bedfordshire Police.

Officers attended his address within an hour and were able to forensically link Hamilton to the attack.

In her impact statement, the victim shared how the incident has left her feeling scared and anxious, and the impact the assault had had on her future.

She said: “Right after it happened, I was scared of being alone, I’d cry if I was on my own, and I couldn’t sleep alone.

“I felt anxious all the time, nauseous and I stopped eating, and I started getting suicidal thoughts.

“I lost a lot of my friends, in school I would disassociate myself and I would not pay attention to my lessons.

“I would blame myself a lot for what happened, because I feel like I could’ve stopped it.”

In 2022, Hamilton had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He denied two counts of rape, but was found guilty of one count at Luton Crown Court on March 31 this year. It related to Hamilton's February meeting with his victim.

The day after his conviction, Hamilton scored for Barton Rovers in their match against Walthamstow FC, with club chairman Darren Whiley later telling the BBC they had known "nothing about the case".

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At Luton Crown Court on Wednesday, 21 June, Hamilton was sentenced to five years in prison for rape, one year for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and six months for engaging in sexual activity with a child.

All three sentences will run concurrently. Hamilton has also been issued with a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register.

In sentencing him, the judge took into account that Hamilton was aged 17 at the time of his offences.

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Alan Blake told Hamilton: “You displayed callous behaviour.

“This was controlling and coercive behaviour to try and control two young teens. The fact you didn’t use physical force does not make it consensual – you knew she wasn’t giving genuine consent.

“There was a significant level of harm experienced. Your messages portray manipulation and exploitation leaving the complainant feeling trapped. Your attitude and behaviour make you a risk to young women.”

Detective Constable Hayley Carroll from Bedfordshire Police’s cyber hub said: “Hamilton’s behaviour was unacceptable. He manipulated and exploited the victim, who was much younger than him, for his own desire.

“The victim showed true courage to confide in her mum and report this to the police, and I hope now she is able to work through rebuilding her life.

“She was left scared and alone, and made to feel she was at fault, however that should never be the case.

“No woman or girl should ever feel alone when it comes to harassment and sexual assault. It is never too late to report anything that has happened to you, and we have specialist teams who will work closely with you and will believe you.”