January 2023

Paedophile sexually abused girl until she became ‘infatuated’ with him

A paedophile sexually groomed and manipulated an underage schoolgirl until she became “infatuated” with him and he filmed sexual intercourse between them

The victim later realised she had been sexually abused and confronted her abuser after watching a documentary about Jeffrey Epstein.

Huw Davies, 32, of Pontypridd, began grooming his young victim by complimenting her on her appearance and encouraging her to open up to him about her problems.

He would then pick her up in his car and the grooming progressed to the stage where the victim thought of the defendant as a “big brother figure”.

But the nature of their relationship changed when he forced the victim to have sex with him at his parents’ home when she was a young teenager, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard.

He ignored her protestations that she didn’t want to and told him she had not been sexually active before but he had sex with her both vaginally and anally.

The victim said they had sex on multiple occasions when she was underage during which she began to develop romantic feelings towards Davies.

She said: “I was in love with the person who was abusing me.” He told her to keep the relationship a secret because of her age.

On occasions he asked her to wear lingerie and her school uniform. The defendant also filmed himself and the victim having sex at his parents’ home.

The relationship between Davies and the victim ended when she was 17 and she later told another partner and her father about the abuse she had suffered.

In 2021 she watched a documentary about paedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein and confronted Davies but he made excuses.

She later contacted the police and the defendant attended a voluntary interview where he denied any sexual contact with the victim but he was arrested after the videos were discovered.

Davies, of The Rise, Rhydyfelin, later pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child. He was found not guilty of two counts of rape. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read out to the court the girl said Davies made her feel like he cared about her, made her feel supported, and described him as “her safe place”.

She added: “When he wanted sex with me I felt confused by it all and scared. I didn’t understand what was going on and I remember feeling really confused about the dynamic changing in our relationship.

In the early days I didn’t see the world as he did and didn’t want the relationship that emerged…

“I had romantic feelings and I became infatuated with him. I believe he created that infatuation. He showered me with affection and promised a happy-ever-after life. I was hopeful we had a future together and would have done anything for him.”

She said Davies would have other girlfriends and told her he needed to embark on other relationships so she remained a secret.

She added: “Things got too much for me and would make me feel guilty for wanted to end things… I started to feel like a sex object. I felt that’s all he ever wanted. I got older and more wiser to what was happening. I started to see he was manipulating me and groomed me for one purpose.

He got exactly what he wanted and I wondered whether he ever cared about me. He preyed on me when I was young and vulnerable…. I feel disgusted but foolish to think I could let this happen. I feel anger, frustration, and guilt.”

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: “You saw [the victim] as someone you could groom and sexually abuse. You made her think you were indispensable. She was as she described brainwashed by you.”

He described the defendant’s pre-sentence report as “odious victim-blaming” and said he had “targeted a child he knew to be vulnerable”.

Davies was sentenced to a total of six years and nine months imprisonment.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, sex offender notification requirements, and a restraining order.