A man who sexually abused a child over a prolonged period has been handed a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being found guilty at trial.
Nicholas Adams, 54, of Rhondda Street, Mount Pleasant, Swansea, was convicted by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court of five counts of indecent assault and four counts of committing a serious sexual offence.
The abuse
Adams was a teenager when the offending began. His victim was under the age of 10 at the time the abuse started. The offences included rape, forcing the child to perform oral sex, and making the victim masturbate him. On one occasion Adams masturbated the victim, causing him an injury.
When the victim tried to tell his parents what was happening, he was not believed and the matter went unreported.
The victim’s words
In a victim personal statement read to Cardiff Crown Court by prosecutor Heath Edwards, the victim described the lasting devastation of what he had endured.
He said: “I am sure he has no idea about the far-reaching impact of what he has done to me.”
The victim explained that as an adult he turned to drugs to cope with his mental health difficulties and had received counselling.
He added:
“I contemplated suicide on various occasions but only acted on this once unsuccessfully. I am still being prescribed anti-depressants.
“It has been hugely traumatic bringing up these issues again. I am hugely ashamed of what happened to me and wish [the defendant] pleaded guilty so I wouldn’t have had to go into tremendous detail I did on the stand.
“I will never know how different my life could have been were it not for the horrific abuse I went through as a child – the years of suffering I had to go through during the abuse itself and the years of blocking out the mental trauma that has been inflicted on me.”
Defence arguments
In mitigation, Susan Ferrier told the court her client “remained firm” in his denial that the offences took place. She said Adams had been a teenager at the time of most of the offending and that the abuse occurred over a limited period.
The court also heard that Adams had no previous convictions.
Sentencing
Judge Hywel James told Adams:
“Your abuse had a severe impact on [the victim]. He was pressured not to share that with others and when he reported it no actions were taken.”
Adams was sentenced to nine years and six months’ imprisonment and was made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.
Comments
Comments on this story are checked before they appear. Please don’t name anyone the story doesn’t, or say anything about guilt or the evidence.
No comments yet. Be the first to have your say.