NEWPORT SEX OFFENDER STEPHEN DAVIES SENTENCED FOR MULTIPLE ATTACKS ON BOY

In August 2007, a disturbing case unfolded in Newport involving Stephen Davies, a convicted sex offender, who committed a series of heinous sexual assaults against a boy under the age of 15. Despite being on the sex offenders' register, Davies was allowed back into the community, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of monitoring and supervision of offenders.

Davies, a 47-year-old resident of Gaer Vale in Newport, was found to have molested the young boy on four separate occasions. The victim's parents, overwhelmed with distress and anger, attended the court proceedings and demanded answers regarding how Davies was permitted to re-enter society and commit these crimes. The court heard that Davies had pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape, leading to his sentencing at Newport Crown Court.

During the hearing, Judge Roderick Denyer addressed Davies directly, emphasizing the danger he posed to children. The judge stated that Davies was a significant risk and recommended that he serve a minimum of four and a half years before being considered for parole. The judge also remarked on Davies' apparent paedophilic urges, indicating that these impulses had not been controlled up until this point.

It was revealed that Davies had previously been placed on the sex offenders' register for life in 1998 following convictions for raping and indecently assaulting a girl, as well as attempting to rape another girl. After serving four years of a seven-year sentence, Davies was released from prison in 2002. Prosecutor Martin Kelly explained that Davies had since found employment at a fast food outlet in Newport.

Details emerged that Davies had befriended the young boy, offering him cigarettes and gaining his trust before abusing him. The abuse was disclosed to police after the boy confided in a female neighbor, who then alerted the boy's mother. Davies subsequently admitted to the police that he had assaulted the boy, a confession that added to the gravity of his crimes.

In his defense, solicitor Caroline Rees highlighted that Davies had acknowledged his risk to children and even expressed willingness to undergo a 'severe physical solution'—a statement that underscored his remorse and awareness of his condition. Rees emphasized that Davies understood the wrongfulness of his actions and recognized the harm inflicted on the young victim, stating, “He is somebody that really does know that what he has done is wrong, that he has ruined a young boy’s life.”

Following the sentencing, the victim’s father spoke to the Argus, sharing his anguish and fears for his son’s future. He described his son as once being a loving and affectionate individual but now displaying aggressive and anti-social behavior. The father expressed frustration and concern over the lack of adequate monitoring of Davies, questioning why he was not supervised more closely. He lamented the lasting impact of the abuse, stating, “The damage has been done and will haunt my son for the rest of his life.”