A RAPIST has been jailed for the “persistent sexual abuse” of a young girl over several years the 1980s.

Evan Jones was found guilty of historical sex offences following a trial earlier this month. These included two charges of rape and nine of indecent assault. He was acquitted of a further count of rape.

“The offences in short can be summarised as a series of acts of sexual abuse, including rapes, between 1984 and 1988,” prosecutor Craig Jones said.

All of the offences involved the same victim, who was aged between eight and 11 at the time. The defendant was aged between 28 and 32.

The court heard that Jones “took advantage of being alone with [the victim]” when horse riding.

Mr Jones, summarising a statement from the victim, said: “She said she wasn’t allowed to ride on the road without supervision, so the defendant used to accompany her on hacks.

“It became a terrifying experience rather than enjoyment.

“She wished she could say it had not affected her, but writing her statement opened up Pandora’s box.”

“He stole my innocence,” the victim said. “That I can never get back.”

Jones denied the offences, telling the jury that the victim had “lied from start to finish” and that it was “financially motivated”.

John Hipkin KC admitted there was little he could say for the defendant in mitigation at this point.

He said that Jones, 67, of Dre-Fach Felindre, had “only” one previous conviction from 1991 – which the court heard was for harassing a woman with a series of “lewd telephone calls”.

Sentencing Jones, Judge Geraint Walters said: “You systematically abused her when the opportunity arose and in a variety of ways.

“She will have had and will continue to have life-long consequences to being abused in that way as a child.”

Jones was handed a total determinant sentence of 15 years, with a further one year extended licence. He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.