The man found guilty of raping an 11-year-old girl in an Enfield park was today sentenced to a minimum of eight years behind bars.

Opemipo Jaji, of Osward Place, Edmonton, was given a life sentence and will not be considered for parole for at least eight years after attacking his victim as she walked home from school.

He was found guilty of raping the girl following a trial at the Old Bailey on April 18.

The 18-year-old committed the assault in Jubilee Park, in Galliard Road, between 4.45pm and 8pm on November 23.

The 11-year-old told police officers that she had been raped after getting off the route 192 bus in Bury Street.

She walked along Galliard Road and noticed Jaji was following her and kept trying to talk to her.

In an attempt to avoid him she crossed the road a couple of times but he continued to follow her.

As they both reached the entrance to Jubilee Park he grabbed her and dragged her into the park.

The girl was then stripped naked and had a woollen glove pushed into her mouth before being subjected to a prolonged attack.

She tried to escape twice but Jaji threatened to stab her.

When she finally returned home the schoolgirl was then immediately taken to hospital where she stayed for two days after having surgery for the severe injuries she sustained.

A community support officer identified Jaji from CCTV images recovered from the route 192 bus and he was arrested for the rape on November 26 of last year.

He denied the allegations and claimed he had been on a route 192 bus and had seen a schoolgirl drop her Oyster card as she got off.

After picking up the Oyster card and handing it back to her they both went their separate ways.

Despite pleading guilty to assaulting a young girl and robbing her mobile phone two years before the rape in Jubilee Park, the teenager claimed he had been trying to get himself back on the straight and narrow.

However, during the trial the court heard that DNA from the victim was found on Jaji’s trainers, bag and on the inside waistband of his boxer shorts.

The 18-year-old claims he sat in the park following the rape to think about song lyrics, and believes his clothes could have been contaminated as a consequence.

He said he wears his trousers low and often puts his hands inside them, which could explain the girl’s DNA being in his underwear.

His fingerprints were also found on the victim's Oyster card holder and police tracked his mobile phone which put Jaji in the vicinity of Jubilee Park at the time of the attack.

A jury found the 18-year-old guilty of one count of rape but a second rape charge and one count of attempted rape were requested to lie on his file.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Lowe, who led the investigation, said: "Jaji posed a great danger to young girls and despite the great weight of evidence against him, refused to accept his guilt and forced the victim to give evidence in court.

"This was a particularly brutal but unusual attack on an innocent 11-year-old schoolgirl who will no doubt continue to suffer the emotional scars of what happened to her for a very long time.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery of the victim and her family.

"I would also like to commend the excellent work of the community officer who identified Jaji from CCTV and the Sapphire investigators for their hard work, diligence and professionalism."