Schoolgirl Sarah Payne's murderer Roy Whiting had his 50-year minimum jail term reduced by ten years by a High Court judge in London.
Whiting, 51, was not present to hear Mr Justice Simon announce his decision on the number of years he must spend behind bars before he can apply for parole.
But the child's mother, Sara, was present in the packed courtroom for the proceedings.
Whiting, a convicted paedophile, was jailed for life in 2001 for the kidnap and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, from West Sussex.
In 2002 the 50-year tariff, which is the least he must serve before becoming eligible to apply for parole, was set by the then-home secretary David Blunkett.
The judge said today he had concluded that the 'appropriate' minimum term was a period of 40 years.
