A man who travelled from Lancashire to Treherbert to meet a girl he had been messaging, and then sexually assaulted her, has been sent to prison.
Samuel Hyde, 35, was given four years’ imprisonment at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Thursday, October 29. He will also be subject to an extended licence period of four years.
The offences
Hyde admitted four offences:
- Assaulting a girl under 13 by touching
- Engaging in sexual communication with a child
- Breaching a sexual harm prevention order
- Possession of a knife in a public place
Messages and the journey
Hyde spent around a week messaging the girl towards the end of June. On Tuesday, June 30, he came down from Lancashire to try to meet her, and that was when the sexual assault took place.
The girl got away and called for help. Officers found Hyde a short time later and arrested him. When they did, they discovered he was carrying a knife.
An existing court order
Hyde was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order at the time. Preston Crown Court imposed it in November 2019, and it banned him from talking to any child under 16 without supervision.
What police said
The case was investigated by South Wales Police. Detective Constable Gareth Thomas said:
“Samuel Hyde’s behaviour towards his victim was shocking and completely unacceptable.
“He took advantage of them and showed complete disregard for their wellbeing.
“We commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward to disclose what Hyde did to them.
“If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual abuse, please do not hesitate to report it to police.”
