Ex-miner abused five girls

9:10am Friday 16th May 2008

A RETIRED miner was jailed for eleven years after being convicted of sexually abusing five girls and raping one of them.

Ex-miner David Johnson, 64, of Glan Ebbw Terrace, Ebbw Vale, was found guilty in April of 35 charges involving indecent assault, sexual activity with a child and one count of rape.

Johnson had denied the charges and said the girls, all under 16, were lying.

But he was jailed for a total of 11 years for the offences on vulnerable young girls.

He is also disqualified from working with children and will be put on the sex offenders register for life.

After the court case, the mother of one of his victims told the Argus she was pleased with Johnson's prison sentence.

"When my daughter told me what had happened, my world just fell apart," she said.

"It's heartbreaking. There's got to be something wrong with him."

She said giving evidence at court was a further ordeal Johnson caused the girls, by denying the allegations, and claiming they were lying.

She said: "This is going to stay with these girls forever.

"They'll never forget, but hopefully this sentence will allow them to move on with their lives."

During the trial at Cardiff Crown Court, the jury heard from prosecutor Martyn Kelly that Johnson had abused his victims in a variety of ways.

One girl, he said, was ultimately raped by the defendant.

When arrested and interviewed by police, Johnson claimed he had sexual problems and could not have committed such offences.

But, said Mr Kelly, it was later discovered that Johnson had been taking viagra for some time.

Giving evidence in the week-long trial, the victims described the abuse they had suffered.

One said Johnson would touch her indecently. She said the defendant had once wanted to take part in a "threesome" in a sleeping bag, involving two young girls and himself, but that there had not been enough room.

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