John Charles 65

Description

A paedophile sexually abused a young girl and took intimate pictures of her, a court has heard. The abuse happened at a number of locations around Neath and Port Talbot including on one occasion in a vehicle on Aberavon seafront.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse came to light when the young victim made disclosures to a teacher, but defendant John Charles denied the allegations against him right until the first day of his trial, claiming they had all been made up. A judge said he had no doubt that if the youngster had not courageously spoken up in school, the sexual assaults would have continued for years.

Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said the complainant in the case had a lesson in school about relationships, sexual consent, and puberty, and at the end of the class the teacher asked the pupils to write down any questions they may have on a piece of paper. The court heard the girl made disclosures to the teacher about being "touched", and as a result the head of personal care at the school spoke to her. Police were then notified and an investigation was launched.

The court heard it emerged Charles had sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions over a period of more than two years, often calling her "sexy" and beautiful" while doing it. The abuse happened at a number of locations in Neath and Port Talbot including, on one occasion, in the defendant's vehicle while it was parked at Aberavon seafront. Charles also took intimate pictures of the child. When the 65-year-old was arrested and questioned he denied all the allegations saying the youngster was making them up and acting out of spite.

In a statement read to the court, the young victim set out the impact Charles' offending has had on her. She described how she felt "lonely and lost" and found it difficult to concentrate at school and how her grades suffered as a result. She said she suffers with flashbacks she cannot control, and she feels she has "lost the life" she had before the abuse. She said she was worried that nobody would believe the allegations, and said she now wants to focus on the future and train in education and social care in order to "help girls who need help" just like teachers and social workers helped her.

John Victor Charles, of Villiers Street, Briton Ferry, had previously pleaded guilty on the first day of trial to multiple counts of sexual assault and to possession of indecent images of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

David Singh, for Charles, said at the age of 65 the defendant had lost his good name. He said the defendant had been diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after the allegations were first made, and said Charles was realistic about the outcome that awaited him and knew that a lengthy custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Geraint Walters said Charles' offending against the girl had been "persistent, repeated, and relentless". He said in the experience of the courts, offending of the type in the case often had life-long impacts on its victims and that was the "wickedness" of such behaviour. He said but for the school lesson and the "courageous" disclosures made to the teacher, he had no doubt that Charles would have continued abusing the young girl for many years more. With a 10 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, Charles was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will serve two thirds of that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Charles will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.