Man who sexually abused child has been jailed for more than 11 years

A man who repeatedly sexually abused a child has been jailed for more than 11 years.

Steven Matthew Jones, aged 42, groomed and sexually assaulted the girl, who was aged under 16 at the time.

Gloucester Crown Court heard that Jones, of no fixed address, sexually abused the girl on multiple occasions.

He pleaded guilty to 12 offences which included inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

Jones was arrested by police and denied the allegations in interview.

Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Police's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, he was charged with the offences.

On 5 November he was jailed for 11 years and eight months, placed on the sex offenders' register for life, handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order.

Jones also admitted two counts of burglary, with six other burglaries taken into consideration when he was sentenced, along with an attempted burglary and a shoplifting offence.

Detective Constable Chloe Morris, from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, said: "I would like to thank the victim for being so courageous in coming forward and for the tenacity and resilience they demonstrated throughout the process.

"Any assault of this nature is an absolutely abhorrent crime and the victim in this instance suffered significant trauma that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

"The length of sentence in this case reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed and I hope this will give confidence to any other victims who may be suffering in silence, to come forward.

"My colleagues and I work tirelessly to ensure that dangerous individuals like this are put behind bars and that victims receive the justice they deserve."

Following the sentencing, the victim said: "Now I never really know what to do with myself these days, I always feel lost. Every day I still ask why? I feel so consumed by so much sadness and grief.

"I feel like I'm trying to fix myself which is so badly broken I don’t know if I can be fixed. I feel and see not just my life darkened, but also my family I had had around me and how it has affected them.

"I am still hurting from the pain that has been caused and I’m just trying to live life the best I can now."

Jones said he was sorry for his actions and he accepted that what he did was wrong. He said he had been on drugs and in and out of prison for all of his adult life.

If someone has sexually assaulted you, help is available. Police have specially trained officers who can provide support and investigate these type of offences.

Call 999 in an emergency, report by calling 101 or online here: Rape, sexual assault or another sexual offence | Police.uk (www.police.uk)

Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre provide support for all survivors of sexual violence, for more information visit: Home | Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre