Paedophile jailed 12 years for raping Pontypool girl

A serial sex offender from Pontypool has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of raping a young girl. ⚖️

Stuart Bladen, 48, was unanimously convicted by a jury of two counts of oral rape following just an hour of deliberation at Newport Crown Court. The defendant had denied the offences.

During sentencing, the victim’s powerful impact statement was read to the court, revealing the devastating effect of Bladen’s crimes:

“I struggle to speak to new people and I struggle to speak about how I feel. I keep my emotions inside and I cry on my own and cry myself to sleep. I’m quite an anxious person and I worry a lot – I’m always stressed. There are only a handful of people who I trust.”

The victim added: “I don’t have any confidence – inside I am sad and worried. I was worried that no one would believe what he did to me. I spend most of my days feeling sad.”

This is not Bladen’s first conviction – he was jailed for 12 years in 2019 for sexually abusing a boy and received six years in 2022 for sexually assaulting a girl at Trecco Bay caravan park in Porthcawl.

His barrister Matthew Comer conceded: “The defendant realises there is something wrong with him.”

Judge Celia Hughes told Bladen: “The complainant in her powerful impact statement says that she struggles to sleep and express her emotions. She is clearly a sad, anxious and troubled young person. She gave powerful testimony at the trial which was compelling evidence of your guilt. You appear to be in denial.”

The judge said Bladen poses a “significant risk of serious harm to the public” and sentenced him to 10 years custody plus a two-year extended licence term.

Bladen must register as a sex offender indefinitely and is subject to a restraining order preventing contact with his victim. He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge upon release.