Bonymaen man jailed for historical sexual offences against a child

A man from Swansea has been jailed after he was found guilty of multiple historical sexual offences against a child.

37-year-old Matthew Bailey, from Bonymaen, came to the attention of police when one of his victims came forward with her story of Bailey’s offending in 2023 – around 20 years after the abuse had started taking place.

Another victim was also identified as having experienced sexual abuse by Bailey.

Bailey was found guilty of two counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13, one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, and one count of causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Detective Constable Stuart Alban said:

“Matthew Bailey committed horrifying offences against two girls who were under the age of 10.

“At that age, the victims’ lives should have been about nothing other than going to school and playing with their friends. Matthew Bailey snatched those most innocent of years away from them.

“This took immense courage for the victims to come forward and report Matthew Bailey’s offending to us. We thank and acknowledge them for doing so, and hope that they can finally feel free of the weight and burden that this has had upon them for so long, knowing that this dangerous man is behind bars.”

We never underestimate how difficult it is for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out and report.

But we hope cases like this one provide reassurance that victims will be listened to, treated with dignity and respect, and will be supported throughout the judicial process.

If you have been sexually abused, and you are not yet ready to report to police, please don’t suffer in silence. A wealth of information and details of support services can be found here.