David Devlin 45

Description

A paedophile carried out years of sexual abuse against a girl which began when she was just six years old. As a result of the abuse, she tried to take her own life on two occasions.

David Devlin, 45, of Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, took advantage of his victim and told her not to report his sexual deviancy or he would be sent to prison. The abuse culminated with the defendant forcing the victim to perform a sex act on him and sexually assaulting her.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard hundreds of texts passed between Devlin and his victim, which was described by prosecutors as being "more like boyfriend and girlfriend". Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant described the texts as "grooming" behaviour, which sought to normalise his sexual behaviour in the victim's mind.

The victim first told her family and school about the sexual abuse in 2022 and Devlin was arrested. A search of his home led to a laptop being seized which was found to contain an indecent image of a child. An image of bestiality was also discovered on the defendant's phone.

Devlin, of Station Road, denied the allegations but he was found guilty of six counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of assault by penetration of a child, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of an indecent image and possession of an extreme image. The court heard he was of a previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Joshua Scouller, the victim said: "When I first told school and family about what was happening, I closed myself off from friends, family and the outside world. I wouldn't leave my room and go outside with friends. I wouldn't do normal things like eat or drink. I would stay in my room and not want to leave. I would get up in the night with nightmares and flashbacks...

"I am scared of people now, I know what people are capable of. I feel I am constantly depressed and have felt like this for the last two years. I feel numb and angry to the outside world and sad when I am alone. At times I haven't felt like getting out of bed, I don't go on my phone or fall asleep, I lie there thinking about everything that's happened with Dave and cry... One day I was really struggling with it all and I decided to kill myself." The victim said she took an overdose of tablets and later told a school counsellor what she had done, and was taken to hospital. She also attempted to take her own life on a second occasion, and harmed herself with knives and lighters.

In mitigation, it was said Devlin still maintains his innocence and claimed the victim was after compensation. As a result of his convictions he has lost his job and accepts he has "let people down". Sentencing, Judge Porter-Bryant said the defendant is a "high risk of serious harm to female children" and used "grooming and manipulation" to sexually abuse his victim.

Devlin was sentenced to eight years and six months imprisonment, with an extended licence period of two years and six months, after being found to be a dangerous offender. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be eligible for parole. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, and will be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order at a later hearing.