A Sligo man has been sentenced to 14 years for the repeated rape and sexual abuse of his step-daughter from the time she was 4-years-old.

The now 17-year-old victim reported the abuse to gardaí in July 2011 and told officers that the man raped her the night her grandmother died, and when she came home early during her Junior Certificate exams.

The 36-year-old man - who cannot be named to protect the identity of the teenager - pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 11 sample charges of rape, oral rape and sexual assault from 2000 to July 2011.

Mr. Justice Paul Carney sentenced the man to 14 years in prison, backdated to when he was first remanded, before he suspended the last four years taking into account his plea of guilty and lack of previous convictions.

The man was ordered to stay away from the victim in perpetuity and carry out 18-months post release supervision.

The teenager left the family home in 2011 and has been in full-time foster care since.

Her victim impact report, which was read into the record, stated she did not have words to describe how she felt during the abuse.

"He made me sick. He took away my childhood and my childhood is filled with bad memories", the girl said before she described spending her younger years feeling "scared, terrified and sick".

She said she loved the man as her father but he told her if he had his own children he would not have touched them.

The teenager said she was afraid to tell her mother in case the man hurt her and she never knew the right thing to do.

"It still feels like I am being watched even though I know he can't hurt me anymore" the report stated before the girl added that taking baths reminds her of the abuse.

"When I heard he was pleading guilty I felt like my childhood was starting again. My day to day life is getting better. I feel like a weight has been lifted off me", the girl concluded before she thanked her foster mother, uncle, a friend and the investigating garda for their support.

The man, who has no previous convictions, made full admissions on his arrest in November 2011.