Mahmut Icer 43

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A Welsh dad has been jailed after his conviction for the serious sexual abuse of a schoolgirl.

Mahmut Icer, of Bryn Street in Ruabon, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

The 43-year-old had previously been convicted by a jury of eight counts including causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity and penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 16.

In his summary of the case, Judge Rhys Rowlands said that over about 18 months beginning in 2018, Icer had groomed the girl by giving her gifts and money totalling £2,800.

He got the child to send him indecent videos and images of herself, sending images and videos of himself performing sex acts to her in return.

During the period of the offending, he had sex with the girl in Wrexham - then "repeatedly" travelled into England where he would meet her in a hotel for sex.

When the girl told him she wanted it to stop, he threatened to show others the images she'd sent to him.

Ffion Tomos, prosecuting, read a victim impact statement from the girl.

Ms Tomos read: "She describes how she hates herself for letting it happen - she felt trapped and manipulated.

"It has affected negatively on her work at school and her studies. She talks about how this defendant took her innocence and provided her with a false perception of what love is and what a relationship should be."

Ms Tomos also read from a statement provided by the girl's mother, in which she said: "She describes how [she] changed and became a different child.

"She lost a lot of weight and seemed very low in confidence.

"Her grades at school have slipped and her mother also confirm the negative effect the court process has had on her, having to relive what she'd gone through."

Simon Rogers, defending, told the court that the defendant came over from Turkey in 2001 and is the father to two children. "This period of imprisonment will be extremely difficult for this defendant, being away from his children," he said. "Perhaps more importantly it will be extremely difficult for them."

Judge Rowlands told Icer: "You were convicted by the jury of eight counts which involved the serious sexual abuse of a girl. "Having read the pre-sentence report and observed you during the trial, I see absolutely no evidence of remorse on your part, or indeed any understanding of just how wrong your behaviour was.

"Quite the opposite - in as much as you continued to blame the victim, suggesting you were misled by her.

"You cultivated her friendship and gave her both gifts and money with a view to your being able to have a sexual relationship with her.

"This was completely wrong and it went as far as you having sexual intercourse with her, this happening on more than one occasion with your repeatedly travelling and booking hotel rooms in order to do so.

"It was all sordid and I have no doubt you knew full well what you were doing was illegal.

"Your behaviour affected the victim's school work, caused her to feel depressed and lose confidence."

Judge Rowlands sentenced on the two 'lead offences' - those being the first and last time Icer had sex with the victim - to reflect his overall culpability.

He imposed a five year custodial sentence in respect of the first and a seven-and-a-half year sentence in respect of the second, to run concurrently.

That makes a total jail term of seven-and-a-half years.

No separate penalty was imposed in respect of the other six counts.

Icer must register as a sex offender indefinitely and has been made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

He was also made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim for five years and was placed on a barring list preventing him from working with children and vulnerable adults.