The victim of a paedophile who sexually assaulted her when she was a girl has said that reporting him to the police was the best thing she has ever done.

Last month Eric Stokes, 53, who is a black belt in mixed martial arts, admitted eight counts of historic indecent assault against a girl aged under 16 over a four year period 20 years ago.

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Convicted: Eric Stokes

The Attorney General’s office will decide tomorrow whether an appeal lodged by an unnamed person will go ahead after it was argued his sentence of a two year community order was too lenient.

Kingston Crown Court said Stokes, who lives in Mitcham, must also sign the sex offenders register for five years and be supervised for two years.

When Stokes' offences came to light last week, he was kicked out of Holistic Fitness Studios, off the Broadway in Wimbledon, where he rented space, by chief instructor Stephen Dixon who was unaware he had even been charged.

His victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said today that she hoped the case would inspire other victims of sex crimes to come forward.

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Eric Stokes.

She said there was a wealth of support available now for victims and had nothing but praise for the police who helped bring him to justice after 20 years.

She said: "I’d like to say to anyone who has suffered or is suffering at the hands of an abuser that you are not alone and there is always light at the end of the tunnel however unlikely that may seem.

"This happened to me a very long time ago and I suffered in silence not wanting to believe what happened, but that only lasted so long.

"From the first day I went to the police they have been incredibly supportive in bringing my abuser to justice.

"There is a lot of support now for victims of abuse, be strong, don't be afraid to ask for help, it will be the best thing you have ever done. Believe in your truth and never doubt yourself.

"My healing has only just begun as I continue my rehabilitation in to feeling normal again and I hope I can give courage and strength to at least one person so that some good comes of the abuse I suffered."

Mr Dixon said Stokes had not worked with children at Holistic Fitness Studios and ran adult mixed martial arts classes from studio space rented from him at the venue.

He said: "He used to rent space from me. I told him I don’t want him anywhere near the club. 

"I have asked him to stay away from it. I have terminated his rental of studio space."

Stokes admitted eight counts of indecent assault against a girl aged under 16-years-old on Thursday, November 6.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed he indecently assaulted the victim between August 9, 1994 and August 10, 1998.

Speaking about losing his job at Holistic Fitness Studios, Stokes said: "It is really unfair.

"I have been working and training in martial arts for 20 years.

"The job I had was teaching adults and had nothing to do with children."

He said he was devastated and hoped Mr Dixon would reconsider his decision.

He had been working full time as a security officer at Lloyds bank in Richmond before he was caught sleeping on the job and was sacked in September this year.

On the club’s website, which has since removed all mention of Stokes, a profile said he was a mixed martial arts combat Ju Jitsu instructor and was born in Chelmsford, Essex, before moving to east London, then Mitcham.

It said he had been involved in the ‘fighting arts’ since the age of 14-years-old and had achieved a brown belt in Ju Jitsu, black belt in mixed martial arts and was a silver medallist at the Ju Jitsu championships heavyweight division.

The profile, written by Stokes, said his other passion was cars having owned 30 in the last 24 years.