A former Gwent Police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl under 13.
John Stringer, 43, from Cardiff, was convicted of five counts of sexual abuse at Cardiff Crown Court, including sexual assault by touching and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Judge Daniel Williams described Stringer’s defence as “odious and cynical” and labelled him a “high risk to female children”.
The victim’s impact statement revealed devastating effects: “She has built her barrier high, she doesn’t trust people, has no self esteem and blames herself.”
Temp. Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend said: “His offending is a betrayal of his role as an officer. We’d like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, speaking out about such horrific abuse is hard and we understand the further impact of going through the court process will have.”
Judge Williams praised the victim as “kind, caring, intelligent and honest”, commending her courage in coming forward.
Stringer will serve a minimum of five years and has been barred from policing for life.
