Man who raped and sexually abused child is jailed – 30 years on
A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed for sexually abusing and raping a child more than 30 years ago.
David Price, 78, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court charged with five counts of indecent assault, two counts of gross indecency with a child and one count of rape.
He appeared alongside his wife, Lourdes Price, 67, who was charged with gross indecency and perverting the course of justice.
During the 1980s Price, of Queen’s Road in Southport, repeatedly sexually assaulted and took indecent pictures of a child whilst she was bound and gagged. He later went on to rape her.
It happened while the pair were living in the Gwynedd area.
The court heard how his wife appeared in some of the pictures and later helped destroy the images by pouring bleach on them.
Price threatened his victim that if she told anyone what was happening she would “be in big trouble”.
The court also heard how Price, who has three similar previous convictions out of 28 offences for which he was jailed, including indecent assault on a child and indecent images, said he believed his victims “enjoyed it” and were willing participants.
Sentencing Price to 15 years behind bars and five years on licence, Judge Nicola Jones said she believes he still presents a significant harm to children due to his “deviant beliefs”.
Judge Jones said: “I find that you present a significant harm, the reason for this is that this woman as a child was your third victim.
“Within your pre-sentence report and in your trial when you gave evidence you showed no remorse or insight into the harm you caused.
“Very concerning is the fact that you maintain strongly held perverted and deviant beliefs that it is acceptable in some circumstances to sexually abuse young female children.
“In your evidence when the previous convictions were discussed and the young children were mentioned you tried to persuade the court that they were willing participants and enjoyed it.
“Because of these firmly maintained deviant beliefs it is my view that irrespective of your age you still present a significant harm by committing further specified offences.
“You are an arch manipulator and a controlling individual.”
He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and is not allowed to own any device that can take photographs.
Speaking to Mrs Price, of Portland Street, Southport, and sentencing her to 18 months in prison, Judge Jones said: “You were a woman who was clearly manipulated and controlled by David Price.
“He still has a role within your life, he wrote to the court to me personally asking me not to send you straight to prison.
“He is a man clearly who thinks he can manipulate and control people.
“You allowed David Price to take an indecent photograph of a child and you were also in that photograph.
“Irrespective of the fact that you were manipulated, controlled and coerced by David Price, there was a child there who was being abused in the most awful way.”
She added: “You destroyed evidence of abuse, had that not been destroyed then the victim may not have had to carry this burden for nearly 40 years.
“There is long lasting impact and an ongoing affect on the victim.
“These offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”