John Hawker

John Hawker, 25, from St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for a series of sexual offences against an underage teenage girl. The abuse began when the victim was a young child, with Hawker inappropriately touching her despite her repeated refusals and pleas to stop. He manipulated her by offering bribes such as chocolate and presents to build her confidence and trust, eventually escalating to repeated rapes.

The court heard that one particularly traumatic incident occurred while the girl was sleeping; she awoke in pain and discomfort to find Hawker raping her. She struggled to push him away, but he persisted. Judge Jeremy Jenkins noted that this assault took the victim's virginity, describing it as 'her introduction to sex.' The grooming and abuse continued for years, though it became less frequent after Hawker learned the girl had reported sexual abuse by another man to the police, making him wary of his own actions.

Following his arrest, police discovered images of child abuse on a device belonging to Hawker. He denied seven counts of rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, but was convicted by a jury after a trial. Despite being of previous good character, the severity of the offences led to a substantial sentence.

In a video interview played during the hearing, the victim described the profound impact of the abuse: 'I haven't been going to school because of what happened... Everything is just so difficult... I don't really go out much anymore. I used to go out all the time and now I don't anymore. I'm stuck in my room watching tele. I don't really sleep as much.' She added, 'I am always feeling ill, when I talk about it I am always feeling ill and my chest gets really heavy... I used to be a people person but I don't feel like me anymore.' The girl expressed anger at what Hawker had put her through but felt no other emotions towards him.

Defence barrister Susan Ferrier acknowledged there was little mitigation possible due to Hawker's not guilty pleas, stating he was aware he would receive a substantial prison sentence and lose years of his youth. Judge Jenkins imposed a total of 12 years' imprisonment, along with sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life. The case was reported by Wales Online on 20 March 2023, based on proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court.