Wrexham man sentenced to 10 years for sexual abuse of child

A 71-year-old Wrexham man has been jailed for the sexual abuse of a child.

David Rowland, of no fixed abode, admitted sexually assaulting a child over a period of time between August 2022 and June last year.

North Wales Police say that he was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Mold Crown Court today.

Rowland was reported to police in June last year when a child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, disclosed to her mother she had been sexually assaulted by him on multiple occasions.

He was arrested and devices including his phone and laptop were seized.

Examinations of the devices found a number of internet searches and images indicative of a sexual interest in children and sexual offending.

Following today’s sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Ben Franklin said: “I commend the victim for her immense courage in confiding in her mother and taking the difficult step in reporting this matter to us.

“Her bravery in speaking out in order to make Rowland stop the abuse is what lead to his arrest, and together, with her mother’s support throughout the investigation, also led to his 10-year incarceration today.

“We are committed to bringing perpetrators of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report an incident to come forward and speak to us.

“We take each and every incident of violence against women and girls (VAWG) very seriously and incidents of this nature will continue to remain a high priority for the force.”