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A MAN has been jailed for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl multiple times on Christmas Day.

Convicted sex offender Nigel Yates, 57, was described by the judge as having “a deviant and unhealthy” interest “embedded in him for teenage and pre-pubescent girls”.

Yates, of Maes Y Coed in Llechryd, Cardigan, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting three offences of sexually assaulting a child in Llangrannog on December 25, 2022.

Helen Randall, prosecuting, said the girl did not tell anyone about the abuse until she was next told they would be going to the defendant’s house.

Giving a statement in court, the victim’s mother said: “I’m still very much in shock about what’s happened.”

She added that although the victim “put on a brave face”, it was clear she had been affected by the abuse.

In interview, Yates denied the offences. He also made disparaging remarks about the victim.

He did plead guilty at the plea and trial preparation hearing.

Yates has four previous convictions for five offences. These include being convicted in 2001 of two offences of indecent assault of two children, making indecent images of children in 2015, and failing to comply with notification requirements - also in 2015.

The court heard that Yates would refuse to disclose his previous convictions to others.

David Singh, defending, admitted: “These are serious offences and they are clearly aggravated by Mr Yates’ previous convictions.”

He said that Yates’ best mitigation was his guilty plea, and that the defendant was “under no illusions” about the seriousness of the offences.

Mr Singh said Yates had been battling alcohol addiction “for many years”, and that he was motivated to work with the probation service to get “specific and targeted help”.

“You have persisted in displaying an unhealthy relationship in young girls,” Judge Huw Rees said, addressing the defendant.

Yates was jailed for 42 months – running concurrently for each offence. He was made the subject of a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order, each for 10 years. He must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A Cardigan man has been sent to prison for more than three years and must register indefinitely as a sex offender, after admitting sexual activity with a child.

Thomas Phillips, of Maes Glas, Cardigan, was sentenced to three years 11 months in custody after entering a guilty plea to the charge of sexual activity with a child.

The Western Telegraph understands that the offence took place in February 2021 and involved a girl in her early teens.

Phillips, 30, had initially denied the charges and was due to stand trial for the offence on January 30 this year.

Just before his trial he admitted the offence and was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on February 17.

He was sentenced to three years 11 months imprisonment. The notification requirements of the sex offender register apply indefinitely.

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A man subjected three young girls to a campaign of systematic sexual abuse spanning more than a decade. Christopher James repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted the children after moving to Wales from Worcestershire.

The 60-year-old was convicted at trial in Swansea Crown Court of 22 counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child, rape, attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13, rape of a child under 13, and attempted rape of a child under 13. Sending him to prison for a total of 21 year, a judge told the defendant that in the experience of the courts offending of the kind committed by James had life-long impacts on victims.

Barrister Nicola Powell, for James, said while the defendant respects the processes of the court, the maintains he is innocent of all the charges. She asked the judge to bear in mind her client has a good side to his character, a submission supported by references from friends and family members.

Christopher James, of Brynheulwen, Blaenannerch, Ceredigion, had previously been convicted at trial when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Geraint Walters told the defendant he had been convicted of "systematically abusing" three girls over a period of more than 10 years. Following the sentencing guidelines the judge sentenced James, who is originally from Stourport-on-Severn, to a total of 21 years in prison. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the hearing Dyfed-Powys Police senior investigating officer detective inspector Llyr Williams said: "James committed unthinkable crimes against young children so we welcome this sentence and hope it serves as a warning to anyone else who may be considering similar abuse. If you commit crimes such as these against vulnerable children we will make sure you are brought to justice.

"I would like to commend the victims in this case who have shown strength and bravery in coming forward and throughout the investigation and trial that James put them through. We hope that todays sentence will give them some comfort and allow them to take steps to move on with their lives.

"This has been an extensive and exhaustive investigation that has taken more than two years to bring to court. I would like to thank the officers and support staff who have worked so hard, dealing with distressing matters, to bring James to justice.

"If you have been abused, please dont suffer in silence. We will listen to you and support you through the investigation."