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A mum was shown diary entries by her terminally ill teenage daughter, which revealed she had been sexually abused by an elderly man. She died of cancer, at the age of 17, before her abuser was brought to justice and jailed.
A court heard Leonard Rickard, 76, took advantage of his victim when she was just seven years old while he was babysitting her. He sexually abused her by kissing her when she played as a princess and went on to to touch her sexually and made her touch him.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the defendant was living at the Coed Hills in St Hilary, in the Vale of Glamorgan, between 2012 and 2013, reports WalesOnline.
The defendant made and rented out yurts at Coed Hills and it was in a yurt when he first sexually assaulted his victim.
She was pretending to be a princess and Rickard told her he "could be her prince" before kissing her on the lips.
His abuse of the victim escalated to him performing oral sex upon her and forcing her to hold his penis. The incident occurred when he tried to incite her to perform oral sex upon him.
The victim was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and told her mother she needed to tell her about what had happened to her.
In her sentencing remarks Judge Lucy Crowther said: "It was perfectly clear she felt this was something that was her fault and whilst she wanted to tell someone for years she hadn't felt able to."
Having told her mother about the first incident the victim showed her mother diary entries in which she detailed the abuse inflicted by Rickard.
At the time she felt unable to contact the police due to her health and the Covid pandemic. She died at the age of 17.
The victim's mother told people in the community about her daughter's revelations and Rickard was confronted.
He made partial admissions and was told to leave Coed Hills.
The defendant, of Newlands Street, Barry, was later arrested and he pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
The court heard Rickard has four previous convictions for sexual activity with a child under 16.
Reading a moving personal statement to the court the victim's mother said: "My beautiful child was left to feel shame and guilt for something done to her by someone trusted to look after her and found it difficult to comer to terms with.
"It's hard to think about - I have sleepless nights when I do. It has severely affected my mental health.
"I live with her loss every moment of every day and knowing she didn't feel comfortable telling me or anyone what he did to her makes it even more unbearable...
"I hope in his heart he can come forward if there are any other victims who share the same pain and guilt as my daughter. It's imperative he's not able to do this again."
In mitigation Adam Sharp said his client lived a solitary existence and hasn't worked since his conviction.
The defendant suffered a stroke in 2019 and two severe hernias and there are concerns he may have early-onset dementia.
Sentencing, Judge Crowther said: "Paedophiles such as you go out of their way to make sure children feel they can't tell.
"That's what you did - it's part of the conditioning you subjected her to as part of your grooming.
"This played on her mind as a young woman, coming towards the end of her life, and she did not have the capacity for what you had done....
"She was a brave and remarkable woman and her mother is rightly proud of her. Her mother is doing her justice today."
Rickard was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment with an extended one year on licence.
He remains subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
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