A PAEDOPHILE was warned by a judge to expect a jail sentence after he was convicted of historical child abuse charges.

Kenneth Eaves, aged 71, of Viscount Evan Drive, Newport, was found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting a girl following a two-week trial.

He was cleared of allegations surrounding two other complainants, now women, who had also accused him of attacking them when they were children.

Eaves was found guilty by majority verdicts of 10-2 of two counts of sexual assault and one of sexual activity with a child.

The defendant was acquitted of attempted rape, four sexual activity with a child charges, three sexual assaults and two counts of indecent assault.

The prosecutor in the case during the trial at Cardiff Crown Court was Laurence Jones and Eaves was represented by his barrister Harry Baker.

The defendant had denied all charges and claimed that all three complainants were lying.

Following the verdicts, Judge Neil Bidder QC told Eaves: “I am adjourning sentence to December 19. I will order a pre-sentence report.

“A custodial sentence is quite inevitable and you will remain in custody until then. Take him down.”

After the defendant left court, the judge turned to the jury of six men and six women and said: “I have ordered a report to be prepared and I have to follow very thorough guidelines.

“There can be no doubt that a custodial sentence will follow.

“You have worked hard on what was a very, very difficult case.

“It is not the kind of case you come to the crown court hoping to get.

“I am sorry that you have had to hear sad, unhappy and distressing things.

“Thank you for your hard work. I have asked for a pre-sentence report because I want to know more about the background of the defendant.”