A SICKO RAPES & KILLS HIS 12 YEAR OLD NIECE BECAUSE OF HIS OBSESSION WITH SNUFF FILMS! HE GETS LIFE IN PRISON!

A man obsessed with violent child pornography has been told he will die in prison for the horrific rape and murder of his 12-year-old niece.
Schoolgirl Tia Rigg was tortured and killed at her uncle's Manchester home on April 3.

John Maden admitted sexually assaulting the girl before stabbing and strangling her to death.

Details of the 999 call he made after the killing were read out at Manchester Crown Court.

Maden told the operator: "My niece has been murdered by me."

When asked why he did it, the 38-year-old answered: "Because I felt like it."

After his arrest, Maden told police he had heard a ''bad voice'' in his head that had told him what to do.

The court heard the unemployed man lured his sister's child to his Cheetham Hill home on the pretext of babysitting.

He drugged her before inflicting an awful catalogue of sexual injuries - some too disturbing to report.

When this nightmare happened, it killed me inside. My heart has been broken and will never mend. All that is left is a big empty hole.

Tia's mother Lynne, speaking outside court

The 12-year-old was then stabbed in the abdomen and strangled with a guitar string.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Keith said: "This was an horrific crime in which a young girl who had everything to live for and placed her trust in you was inveigled into your lair.

"The terror, the unimaginable pain you inflicted on her, the indignities you subjected her... while still alive.

"It was planned, it was premeditated and her agony must have been prolonged.

"This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life."

The court heard Maden, who was separated from his wife, was obsessed with extreme child pornography and so-called "snuff" films.

Lynne Rigg said Tia 'wasn't just my daughter, she was my best friend'

During the investigation, police found hundreds of images of violent, sexual child abuse on Maden's laptop.

Detectives also discovered a CD-rom that contained images depicting abduction, rape and snuff movies.

From Maden's mobile phone, police recovered folders entitled "snuff" and "snuff stories" and "brutal rape".

Prosecutor Gordon Cole QC told the court: "This material and the subsequent discovery of Tia reveals this defendant was acting out a long-held fascination with rape, torture and abuse of children.

"He re-enacted scenes from his collection of pornographic material."

The defendant had been assessed and passed fit to stand trial before he pleaded guilty to the murder.

Maden made no reaction as he was told he must spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Mr Justice Keith said: "It is inescapable that Tia Rigg died because you decided to realise your fantasies about torturing and killing a young child.

The 12-year-old was buried in a pink coffin

"The fact that you chose your 12-year-old niece, who had put her trust in you, makes what you did all the more unspeakable."

Outside court, Tia's mother Lynne Rigg paid tribute to her daughter, who she said had been her "whole world".

She and other members of her family had sat, head bowed, covering their faces with their hands and weeping silently as details of Tia's last moments were read to the court.

Afterwards, she said: "Tia was my baby girl. She was always happy and never sad. She brought a smile to everyone who she met.

"Tia was loved by everyone, family and friends, but to me she wasn't just my daughter, she was my best friend.

"When this nightmare happened, it killed me inside. My heart has been broken and will never mend. All that is left is a big empty hole.

"For me, this nightmare will never end but now justice has been done, at least Tia can rest in peace.

"I love her so much, she was my life. I miss her big smile every morning and her beautiful freckly face. She always laughed when I said that.

"Not a day goes by when I don't think of her. I love and miss her so much and always will."