A workman sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl after he was invited into her home by her parents in order to carry out work. He exposed his penis before removing her underwear and touching her.
Kevin Sillcox, 63, of Newport, committed the offence while attending the family's home in 2022, where he was carrying out work. The girl and her mother were downstairs as he worked in the victim's bedroom, but at some point she came up to play in her bedroom.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday heard the defendant first exposed his penis to the victim. He then "reduced her to a state" where he removed her underwear and used his fingers to touch her on her vagina.
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The offences didn't come to light until the victim was five-years-old, when she asked her parents if the "bad man" was coming back to the house, and described the sexual assault. Sillcox, of Commercial Road, denied the offences, claiming the allegations had been "fabricated" but he was found guilty of sexually touching a child under the age of 13 following a trial.
In victim personal statements read out the court by prosecutor Matthew Roberts, the victim's father said: "I am reliving the incident again and felt unable to help my daughter when she was in distress.... We no longer feel safe in our own home. I feel I no longer know my daughter. She is less trusting and pulls away from me."
The father described the impact of the assault as an "emotional rollercoaster" and stated he tried to take his own life and had turned to alcohol. He added: "It's awful to think this man came into my daughter's home, that was supposed to be her safe space, and did this to her."
The girl's mother said: "The actions of Sillcox have greatly affected me and my daughter's life. Since he committed this crime I have been unable to sleep at night and I'm constantly afraid it will happen again. I am no longer able to trust people as before. It's torn me to pieces, I've never felt so isolated and alone... The trauma has made me feel things I had never felt....
"I cry all the time and find it hard to get my head around how he came into my home and did this to the most vulnerable person in the house, my beautiful daughter." The mother said her daughter was "cautious, scared and worried", hides away and finds it hard to socialise, which the mother described as "heartbreaking" to see."
The court heard Sillcox has four previous convictions, none of which are sexual offences. His barrister Alex Greenwood said the offence was "relatively short in duration" and said there was no penetration involved.
Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull KC said: "The effect on (the victim) and her parents has been significant, she has seemed to have a changed personality and is no longer the child she was. You have shown no remorse and chose to plead not guilty as was your right. You said it was a concocted allegation against you. I reject that allegation by you."
Sillcox was sentenced to four years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely and will be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at a later date.
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