Locations
Morfydd Street, Morriston, Swansea, SA6
Description
A paedophile groomed a vulnerable young boy and subjected him to rapes and repeated sexual assaults.
Jason Evans would ply the child with gifts including sweets, toys, and rugby boots, Swansea Crown Court heard.
Evans subjected the boy, who was under 12 at the time, to repeated sexual assaults and rapes with the offences taking place in the 2000s.
The child did not feel able to report the abuse at the time and it is only in recent years now he himself is a father that he went to the police.
Prosecutor John Hipkin QC read a statement from the victim in which he described the impact the abuse has had on him.
He said the sexual assaults made him an aggressive boy who got into trouble at school and he eventually left education with no qualifications. He said he went on to abuse drink and drugs, was not able to control his emotions, and ended up in trouble with the police.
The man said he still suffers flashbacks to the abuse, has regular suicidal thoughts, and has found it hard to hold down jobs but he said his family have helped him through the "dark times".
He added: "I hope Jason Evans being found guilty will be the start of my recovery but my life will never the same, it will always live with me... I hope it will be the first step in me getting on with my life."
Evans, aged 45, of Morfydd Street, Morriston, Swansea, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and two of rape following a trial.
Stephen Rees, for Evans, said the defendant maintained his innocence but the court would no doubt be trying to fathom why he had offended in the way he had during the period in question offending he had not carried out before or since.
He said his client had led an industrious life and since the offending had gone on to form a stable relationship and become a father.
Recorder Mark Powell QC told Evans he had taken advantage of his vulnerable victim to satisfy his "perverted desires" to have sex with a young boy.
He said the defendant had "destroyed" the boy's formative years and "took away his youth" and the impact the abuse had had was clear not just from the statement read to court but from the victim himself as he stood in the dock in a distressed state giving evidence during the trial.
The recorder said it was right Evans should be considered an offender of particular concern and be given an extended sentence as a result.
Evans was given a 13-year extended sentence comprising 12 years in custody and an extended one-year licence period. The defendant can apply for release at the two-thirds point of the custodial element but it will be for the Parole Board to decide if he is safe to be released. The defendant was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective inspector Carl Price said: "Reporting rape or a serious sexual offence is big decision to make but victims welfare is our priority. Don't forget both men and women can be offenders and victims of sexual assault.
"South Wales Police is committed to investigating such offences in order to help victims move their lives forward and bring offenders to justice.
"If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted we encourage you to report it to us so you can get the support you need."