KENNETH WATERS FROM HAVERFORDWEST SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN PEMBROKESHIRE AND SWANSEA

In October 2017, a man from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, identified as Kenneth Waters, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offenses involving a young girl. The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court, where Waters, aged 72, faced allegations of seven separate sexual assault charges. The court was informed that Waters had exploited every possible opportunity to abuse his young victim and, in an attempt to discredit her, had accused her of lying about the incidents.

Judge Paul Thomas delivered the sentence, emphasizing that Waters had shown no remorse for his actions. The judge also acknowledged the impact of Waters' crimes on his community and his business, the Home Electronics shop located in Haverfordwest. During the proceedings, Waters' barrister, Nigel Fryer, highlighted that Waters' electrical shop was in a precarious financial position, teetering on the brink of collapse. Despite this, Judge Thomas pointed out that Waters' reputation in the town had been undeservedly tarnished by his actions.

The court also heard that, years after the abuse, the victim recorded a telephone conversation with Waters, during which he apologized for his misconduct. The victim, who is now in her twenties, provided a statement indicating that she continued to suffer from the effects of the abuse more than a decade later. As Waters was led away in tears, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

Earlier in January 2017, a jury at Swansea Crown Court was unable to reach a verdict on five remaining allegations of sexual assault against Waters. However, they did find him guilty of three similar offenses. The judge granted the Crown Prosecution Service a period of seven days to decide whether to pursue a retrial on the unresolved charges. Waters' sentencing was postponed until the legal process was completed.

During the trial, Waters, who resided at Highfield Manor and operated an electrical goods shop on Snowdrop Lane, claimed that the girl involved had threatened to report him to the police unless he paid her money. The girl, now in her twenties, testified that she had secretly recorded a phone call in which Waters allegedly admitted to touching her inappropriately when she was 13 years old.

Waters denied nine charges of sexual assault, asserting that he had never kissed or touched the girl in a sexual manner. He acknowledged that he had driven her to a beach, but insisted it was not Newgale and that no inappropriate activity had taken place. He recounted that, years later, the girl had contacted him demanding large sums of money to keep quiet, threatening to publicly label him as a pedophile and to walk around town with signs bearing such accusations. Waters described her repeated phone calls—up to eighty times in a single day—as overwhelming and distressing.

He claimed that during the recorded telephone conversation, he only apologized to her to end her harassment, despite maintaining that he had committed no wrongdoing. The court heard that Waters had driven the girl to a beach, but he insisted it was not Newgale and that no sexual acts had occurred. The girl’s account detailed an incident where Waters allegedly told her to remove her trousers and then exposed himself, attempting to have sexual intercourse with her before fleeing when a car with young women arrived. Waters maintained his innocence, stating he had never engaged in any sexual contact with her and that he had only driven her to the beach for innocent reasons.

Throughout the trial, Waters' defense centered on denying the allegations and portraying the girl’s accusations as motivated by threats and extortion. The court's findings and Waters' subsequent sentencing underscore the serious nature of these offenses and the lasting impact on the victim’s life.