Cardiff man found guilty of repeated child sexual abuse

A FORMER motor mechanic who denied sexually abusing a child repeatedly has been found guilty by a jury.

Gareth Jones pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault by penetration, one of sexual assault and one of sexual activity with a child, but was convicted after a three-day trial.

Opening the case at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, prosecutor Nigel Fryer said the girl was “extremely upset” when she first made the allegations.

The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police the offending occurred “out of the blue”. In a recorded interview, she told a specially-trained officer she found the defendant’s behaviour “confusing”.

The victim also stated she was “scared” of him and described him as a “big man”. She told police the abuse happened between 10 and 20 times.

Jones was arrested on October 3 last year and interviewed by the police.

The court heard the defendant, who is married, said he was “horrified” when the allegations were put to him.

Giving evidence from the witness box, he accepted pinching the complainant’s bottom, but told officers he would do that to friends – both male and female – as a “joke”.

The court heard the complainant has been affected by some mental health problems.

Jones, 49, from Llys Tudful in Creigiau, Cardiff, denied the charges, but was found guilty on all counts.

Anna Midgley, defending, asked for the case to be adjourned for a pre-sentence report. Judge Thomas Crowther QC remanded Jones in custody until his sentencing hearing on January 22.