Bridgend paedophile sentenced after 20-year manhunt

BRIDGEND PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED AFTER 20-YEAR MANHUNT

A man wanted for sexual abuse who had evaded justice for two decades has now been sentenced to prison.

David Carey-Williams, aged 58 and from Bridgend, committed acts of abuse against a girl throughout three years in the 1990s.

Following her report to authorities, he absconded abroad in 2000.

Authorities arrested him at Heathrow Airport in 2021 as he attempted to re-enter the UK without detection.

During his sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on a recent Friday, Carey-Williams received a sentence of 12 years and three months.

According to South Wales Police, he had sexually touched and indecently assaulted his victim multiple times when she was between 10 and 13 years old, over a period of three years.

He faced charges of ten counts of sexual activity with a minor and admitted to eight, while two charges remain on file.

His victim suffered considerable trauma before his apprehension, and police found evidence connected to the original offenses among his belongings at the time of his arrest.

The police credited cooperation with the National Crime Agency, the Foreign Office, and Sri Lankan authorities for locating him, as he was found in Sri Lanka in 2013.

His fleeing to Lanzarote in 2000 was prompted by the victim’s police report.

The case underscores the tragic impact of Carey-Williams’ escape and eventual capture on the victim, who is now in her 30s.

Authorities hope the penalty will help her begin to recover from this traumatic ordeal.