DAFYDD REES SENTENCED IN AMMANFORD FOR DECADES-OLD CHILD RAPE CASES IN SWANSEA

In a case that has spanned over two decades, Dafydd Rees, a man from Ammanford, has been sentenced to prison for multiple sexual offenses committed against a young boy. The crimes, which took place in the late 1990s and early 2000s, involved Rees, who was approximately 15 years old at the time, abusing a boy aged 11 or 12. The victim, now an adult and a father himself, finally came forward to report the abuse after his own son reached an age similar to when he was victimized, prompting the authorities to revisit the case.

Rees, aged 38 and residing on College Street in Ammanford, faced a court hearing at Swansea Crown Court where he was convicted of multiple counts of raping a child under 13 and indecent assault. These offenses occurred during a period when Rees was still a minor, and the court heard that the abuse was ongoing over several years. The victim described feeling a mixture of fear, shame, and disgust during the abuse, and expressed that he was too scared to confide in anyone at the time, fearing repercussions or punishment.

During the sentencing, the court was presented with an impact statement from the victim, who recounted his emotional struggles growing up. He explained that he often found emotional situations overwhelming and suffered from bouts of anxiety, which he linked to the trauma he endured as a child.

Judge Geraint Walters addressed the court, emphasizing that Rees had exploited his victim repeatedly whenever the opportunity arose. The judge criticized Rees for denying the offenses, which forced the victim to relive the trauma during the trial process. The judge acknowledged Rees’s difficult childhood, including prolonged absences of his mother, but stated that such circumstances could not justify or explain his criminal behavior.

Given the complexities of sentencing in cases involving historical offenses, the judge explained that he had to consider the legal framework and the fact that the crimes occurred many years ago. Following guidance from the Court of Appeal, he stated that his approach was to imagine himself as a judge sentencing Rees at the time of the offenses, rather than in the present.

Ultimately, Rees was sentenced to 12 months in custody. He will serve up to half of that time in prison before being released on licence, with the remainder to be served in the community under supervision. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that they were unable to provide a custody photograph of the defendant at this time.