Child sex assault man is jailed

A Mid Wales man who swung a toddler around by his hair and sexually assaulted him has been jailed and put on the sex offender register.

Benjamin Roberts, 27, of Howey, near Llandrindod Wells, was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm and sexual assault on a child under 13.

His trial at Merthyr Crown Court heard the boy was admitted to hospital with multiple injuries.

He had a massive swelling to his head causing it to increase in size by 50 per cent and there were tufts of hair missing from his scalp.

The child had suffered bleeding under the scalp, bruising behind both ears and black eyes.

Prosecutor Ieuan Morris said: "The prosecution assert that this was not a child who had suffered the rough and tumble type injuries whilst playing."

Mr Morris said Roberts still denied the offences and had not offered an explanation for the injuries.

Judge John Curran yesterday ordered that Roberts serve a six-year extended sentence to include a four-year jail term and an additional two years on licence, for the sexual assault.

He also sentenced him to 15 months for causing actual bodily harm to be served concurrently.

Roberts must register as a sex offender for life and was disqualified from working with children.

He will not be allowed to live with any child under the age of 13 or communicate with a child under that age without the presence of their parent or guardian.

The judge said the bleeding under the boy's scalp was described at the trial by a consultant paediatrician as something he had not previously seen.