Alex Prosser 36

Description

A man raped a vulnerable 11-year-old girl in his flat after grooming her on the messaging app Snapchat.

When police arrested Alex Prosser they found more than 1,200 films and pictures on his phone showing babies and children being sexually abused. A report into the defendant described him as the "epitome of a predator paedophile".

His barrister said the 34-year-old has a deep sense of shame for what he had done - "as he should".

Swansea Crown Court heard that Prosser initially made contact with another child on Snapchat, and through her went on to start communicating with an 11-year-old girl.

Carina Hughes, prosecuting, said the girl made her age clear to the defendant and he told her he was 16. She said Prosser then engaged in "clear grooming behaviour" including making persistent requests for naked pictures of the youngster and sending her photos and videos of his penis.

The defendant arranged for the child to go to his flat, and when she arrived he cuddled her on his bed before touching her breasts and genitals. Prosser then made the child perform oral sex on him.

The court heard the abuse came to light after the girl's mother found the Snapchat exchanges, contacted Prosser to confront him and then reported the matter to the police.

Miss Hughes said when officers went to the defendant's Port Talbot flat he was not at home - but officers found blood outside the property and forced entry. Inside they found a trail of blood, and a bloody knife.

An injured Prosser was subsequently located on the slipway near the RNLI station on Aberavon seafront. His phone was seized and examined, and on it officers found 1,249 indecent videos and pictures, including 700 Category A images showing the most extreme kinds of sexual abuse. The court heard some of the children in the images were estimated to be around 18 months old.

Prosser subsequently gave a largely "no comment" interview but told officers he had been "waiting to die for the last 10 years" and said his life was difficult and he had "had enough".

In an impact statement from the victim's mum, which was read to the court, she said that since learning of the abuse she had trouble sleeping - but when she does sleep, she had nightmares about what had happened to her daughter. She said the young girl rarely talks about she went through but when she does "she blames herself and apologises". The mum added that what had happened to the family was "every mother's worst nightmare".

Alex Prosser, of Trinity Court, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to the rape of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of possessing incident images of Class A, B and C, and possession of extreme pornography when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Eugene Hickey, for Prosser, said it was clear from a pre-sentence report that the defendant led a lonely and isolated life and suffered from depression and low self-esteem which had led him to self-harm. The barrister said the main mitigation he could forward were his client's guilty pleas which meant there would be no trial, adding: "He has a deep sense of shame - as he should."

Judge Catherine Richards told Prosser he had raped and sexually assaulted a vulnerable young girl. She said she had carefully considered the contents of the pre-sentence report into the defendant - the author of which had described him as the "epitome of a predator paedophile" - and she was persuaded that an extended sentence was necessary.

With discounts for his guilty pleas Prosser was given a 13-year extended sentence comprising 10 years in custody with a three-year extended licence period. The defendant must serve two-thirds of the custodial element before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to decide if he can be let out at that point. He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.