A police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a girl under the age of 13. John Stringer, 43, from Cardiff, was found guilty of five counts of sexual abuse during a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in September.
The court revealed that the victim endured severe psychological harm due to Stringer’s actions. Following his conviction, he was immediately dismissed from Gwent Police and is barred from policing for life.
Judge Daniel Williams, who presided over the sentencing in Newport, condemned Stringer’s attempts to persuade a jury of his innocence as “odious and cynical.” He characterized Stringer as a “high risk to female children.” The charges against Stringer included:
In a poignant victim statement presented in court, it was disclosed that the abuse had left a “lasting negative, painful memory” that marred much of the girl’s childhood. The prosecution lawyer, Ian Wright, read that the girl began self-harming after the abuse, feeling “desperate to remove the feeling” of Stringer’s hands on her body.
Her family expressed their heartache:
“No matter how many times we told her she was loved, she won’t believe us.”
The court learned that she experienced suicidal thoughts and had been taken to accident and emergency multiple times due to fears she might take her own life. The victim statement revealed:
“She has built her barrier high; she doesn’t trust people, has no self-esteem, and blames herself.”
When sentencing Stringer, Judge Williams addressed one disturbing element of the abuse:
“She told you she did not want to do it, but you kept on and on at her demanding she did.”
He noted that the abuse was escalating when Stringer was arrested and described hearing about its impact on the girl as “heartbreaking.” Judge Williams emphasized that Stringer’s position as a police officer allowed him to mask his true motives.
To the girl’s family, he remarked:
“It is clear to me that she is a kind, caring, intelligent and honest girl. She is to be commended for her courage in coming forward.”
Stringer will serve a minimum of five years behind bars.
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