A CWMBRAN paedophile who committed a “dreadful abuse of trust” has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a string of child sex offences.

Neil Stephens, 49, of Ty-Newydd Court, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault by penetration on a child under 13; three counts of sexual assault on a child under 13; three counts of inciting a child to perform a sexual act; and three counts of possessing indecent images. He had been on remand.

Newport Crown Court heard that the offences were committed between 2012 and 2015, when the girl was under 12.

The allegations only came to light last year after the girl was found crying in the toilet in her school and she told an older pupil about what had happened.

Richard Ace, prosecuting, said: “She felt that the defendant made her feel ashamed and she said that, ‘I don’t know who I am’."

Upon then being arrested at his home, Stephens said to officers: “What? Someone’s made an allegation against me?”

Stephens denied the allegations in his first interview at Ystrad Mynach police station on December 15 last year, but later admitted them to police.

His laptop was analysed and it was found that he had also viewed 60 indecent videos.

Mr Ace said: “He initially accessed them by accident but after an initial revulsion, he didn’t know why he continued to look at those images. He said he was sorry for what he’d done.”

The complainant, who was too upset to make a victim impact statement, told the police that she did not know the abuse was wrong until she was a little older.

Defending, Gareth Williams said: “He knows what he’s done and all that I’ll say in mitigation, of course, pales in significance in terms of harm caused to the girl.”

Summing up, Judge Daniel Williams said it was a “dreadful, dreadful abuse of trust” but noted that Stephens had not put the victim through a trial.

He said: “As dreadful as those admissions are, the court must reflect your frankness when you were interviewed by the police. Admissions such as this are very, very rare.

“Most people deny the offences and make the children concerned give evidence which can add to their agony.”

He sentenced Stephens to 10 years for the assault by penetration offences; four years concurrent for the sexual assault charges; eight years concurrent for inciting a child to perform a sex act offences; and 26 months concurrent for possessing indecent images.

Stephens will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and he will also be placed on the sex offenders register.