A man who sexually tortured his former girlfriend has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Scott Desrosiers, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault. The judge ordered him to serve at least half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The assault happened last January when Desrosiers subjected his former girlfriend to 10 hours of what Crown prosecutor Mark Huyser-Wierenga called a "torture session" involving "degrading, violent, vile criminal actions."

The two met in a bar the night of the assault. Desrosiers beat the 29-year-old woman in the parking lot, then forced her to return to the apartment where they lived when they were a couple.