Merthyr man jailed for rape

A man from Merthyr has been given a 15-year jail sentence after he was found guilty of the historic rape of one girl under the age of 16.

51-year-old Stephen Thomas, from Merthyr, carried out repeated attacks on victim over a period of five years.

In May, Thomas was found guilty of one count of rape of a female under 16, and seven counts of assault of girl under 13.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison when he appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday June 5. He has also been given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which states he is not allowed any unsupervised contact with any female child under the age of 16.

Detective Constable Emily Barnett said:

“It took an unbelievable amount of strength and courage for the victim to come forward, especially with so many years having passed in-between.

“This was a long and complex investigation which has finally resulted in Stepehen Thomas being brought to justice, and the severity of his offending is reflected in the sentence.”