'Depraved' 71-year-old paedophile raped girl, 12, and aborted her baby with coat hanger

A "depraved" 71-year-old paedophile has been jailed for 25 years after he raped a 12-year-old girl and aborted her baby with a coat hanger when she fell pregnant.

Raymond Hodges was jailed on Thursday (27 July) after a decade-long campaign of abuse against a girl from the age of five until she was 14.

Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Hodges was convicted of 20 child sex offences, including rape and using an instrument to procure abortion, in addition to pleading guilty to four counts.

Hodges, from Barry, Wales, even filmed some of his disgusting sex acts and used beatings and scaldings to threaten and control the child.

The court heard how the pensioner carried out an abortion on his victim when she fell pregnant with his child at the age of just 12.

It was heard that another man held the child down at the time of the incident which left the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with traumatic and disturbing visions.

The victim later dropped out of education, began self-harming, and attempted to take her own life on a number of occasions due to the horrific abuse she had suffered, and by pleading not guilty forced her into the added trauma of a crown court trial.

The woman said in a victim impact statement that she had been "robbed of a warm and happy childhood" but was now starting to "put the pieces of her life back together".

Hodges admitted four counts of sexual abuse and was found guilty of raping a child and using an instrument to procure abortion.

The judge presiding over the case added that Hodges had "shown no remorse whatsoever".

Sentencing, Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said according to Wales Online: "This is a case of extremely depraved sexual abuse upon a young girl for a number of years. Your actions were sadistic on more than one occasion."

He continued: "This was nothing other than the most depraved and horrific campaign of sexual abuse."

"There was a long history of beatings, scaldings and burns done in order to subject her to your control and there was further evidence of sexual pleasure you took from domineering this poor child."

Defending Hodges, Claire Pickthall told the court that he "suffers with anxiety and depression" and admitted that "it may be that Mr Hodges never walks as a free man again."

Detective Constable Steve Gunney, who led the investigation, said: "I am so pleased that Raymond Hodges has been brought to justice for his appalling crimes and that he is now behind bars where he belongs and where he will remain for a very long time.

"This result was only possible due to the bravery of the young woman concerned. She showed enormous courage in coming forward to report the abuse and throughout the investigation."