BRIDGEND MAN HANDED SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TEENAGE GIRL
A man sexually assaulted a teenage girl and then begged her not to tell anyone.Cardiff Crown Court heard how Grant Edwards, 33, committed the sexual assault by touching her in the autumn of 2022.
The court was told that Edwards, who was convicted by a jury after a trial, grabbed the girl by her body and pulled her towards him before rubbing the upper part of her leg, which he then pushed in the direction of his genitals.
He then told the girl she had given him an erection.
The court heard how the girl, who cannot be named, "courageously resisted" the prolonged assault before Edwards grabbed her by her joggers and pulled them away from her waist "so he could see her underwear".
The judge, Jonathan Elystan Rees, stated that Edwards had been "aroused" by his actions and recounted how Edwards told the girl he was "hard" and asked her if she "wanted to see".
Edwards then tried to convince her not to tell anyone, but she gathered the courage to report what he had done.
During sentencing, the judge emphasized that Edwards’s abuse of the victim would have a lasting impact, stating, “Your abuse of her will live with her forever.
The court understands that even if you do not.” The court also heard from a victim impact statement where she expressed suffering from anger and anxiety, saying, “The fact he did this to me sickens me,” and that she now finds it difficult to trust men.
Additionally, she reported that she struggled with anger, anxiety, and trust issues following the assault.
The prosecution outlined that Edwards had shown limited insight into his behavior, with his defense claiming he maintains innocence but accepts the jury's verdict.
Edwards has a prior conviction from his youth, but the judge decided it was not relevant to the current sentence.
The probation service assessed him as a high risk of harming others in the future but a lower risk of re-offending.
The judge sentenced Edwards to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete a 40-day rehabilitation program and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Furthermore, he was given an indefinite restraining order banning him from approaching the victim in any way.
