A man who recorded himself raping a vulnerable 14-year-old girl, posted the video online and stole her phone has been jailed for five and a half years.

Denzel Amadi-Jestus pursued his victim through social media site Instagram before meeting her at a Camden home and having consensual sex with her twice, despite him being fully aware of her age.

The 19-year-old – who claimed to be 16 – videoed both sexual encounters without the victim’s knowledge and later raped her, which he also recorded.

Amadi-Jestus then stole the girl’s phone in an attempt to protect his identity and later shared a sex video with her friends via social media.

He was sentenced to five and a half years in jail at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday for an array of offences, including two counts of sexual activity with a child, making an indecent image of a child, distributing an indecent image of a child and theft.

An additional sentence was given for perverting the course of justice after Amadi-Jestus tried to persuade a witness to go along with a false account of events in court when he was on bail.

Det Con Neil Sutherland of the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said he hoped the sentence will prevent more children’s lives being “irrevocably damaged” by Amadi-Jestus.

He added: “Amadi-Jestus preyed on a vulnerable girl on social media claiming to be 16 years of age. After raping her he stole her phone believing that this would prevent his identity and contact details from being discovered. He then callously humiliated her by posting the footage on social media to her school friends.”

A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said that, with help, the victim will be able to “turn her life around” after the “devastating experience”.

She said: “In sharing a video of the crime he has allowed his victim to be abused again and again each time the footage is viewed.

“Amadi-Jestus was more concerned with covering his tracks than the impact his actions would have on is victim.”

The events took place in early 2015, with Amadi-Jestus being arrested in May.

After an investigation, he was charged with rape in March of this year and bailed, which is when he attempted to pervert the course of justice.

He was convicted on October 27.

Following Amadi-Jestus’s sentence, police stressed the importance of acting on suspicions of potential child abuse.

Det Sgt Edward Coleman said: “As is often the case, not all victims recognise that they are being preyed upon. Such abuse and exploitation of children will not be tolerated by the Metropolitan Police and we are determined to bring all such perpetrators to justice.

“If you believe a child you know may be being exploited in this way, please call police or children’s services.”