Kenneth Kesans 45

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A man who subjected a young girl to a string of sickening sexual assaults rang police almost two decades later to report what he had done.

Kenneth Kesans, who also goes by the name Kenneth Rowles, told officers he needed to "come clean" about what he had done in his past.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse he subjected his victim to in the early 2000s has had a devastating effect on her life.

The 43-year-old defendant has now been given an extended sentence as an offender of particular concern.

Carina Hughes, prosecuting, told the court that Kesans carried out a series of indecent assaults on the girl over a lengthy period which culminated in an attempted rape of the crying child. On occasions he plied the girl with alcohol, made her perform sex acts on him, and threatened her into silence.

The court heard the abuse went unreported for almost two decades until 2021 when Kesans rang the police from a public phone box in Swansea 's Maritime Quarter. During the call he told officers he couldn't stop thinking about what he had done, adding: "I need to get it off my chest - I need to come clean."

Miss Hughes said police tracked down the victim of the abuse, and went to her house to speak to her. The woman told them she had always been terrified that if she did report the abuse it would her word against his, and nobody would believe her.

In a statement from the victim which was read to the court she detailed the devastating impact the abuse has had on her life, saying she as a youngster she became socially isolated and withdrawn, then started self-harming and suffered nightmares of having snakes in her bed. She said she had felt embarrassed and ashamed at what had happened but it wasn't until she had gone to university that she had sought counselling - though even then she had not disclosed the abuse to her counsellor.

Kenneth John Kesans, of Heol Frank, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and to seven counts of indecent assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

David Singh, for Kesans, said the fact the defendant had contacted the police to report the offending demonstrated a degree of "responsibility, remorse and regret" for what he had put the complainant through.

Recorder Mark Powell QC told Kesans he had committed extremely serious offences, offences which meant he was regarded as what is known as an offender of particular concern.

He said it was clear from what he had heard and read about the victim that she was a young woman of "considerable fortitude", and he said she should feel no shame of guilt over what the defendant had done to her.

With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas Kesans was given a 13-year extended sentence comprising 12 years in custody with an extended one-year licence period. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.