Jan 2010 Man jailed for sex assaults on five children A NEWPORT man was jailed for 18 months after admitting sexually assaulting five children. Bear Rider, 39, appeared in Newport crown court for sentencing having previously admitted three counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and two counts of sexual assault on teenagers. The court heard Rider, from Newport, was due to stand trial on a total of nine counts of sexual assault, but he admitted five charges on the day the trial was due to start and the prosecution said it would not be in the public interest to pursue the remaining charges. Prosecutor Nicholas Gareth Jones said Rider pleaded guilty on a basis and did not dispute the charges so the children would not have to give evidence in court. The court heard the incidents took place between February and July last year and the matters came to light after Rider touched a teenage boy in a supermarket, who then told his parents. Mr Jones said after Rider was arrested, four other children made complaints about him, but he denied the offences during interview and was bailed. Soon afterwards a further four children made complaints. Rider was arrested, interviewed and remanded in custody. Representing Rider, Caroline Donnelly said: “He is a man who is 40 this year and it’s some what surprising at this late stage that he has embarked upon this unusual behaviour.” She said Rider was of previous good character and his actions had led to him losing a lot. Judge Roderick Denyer said it was a case of inappropriate touching, but emphasised that there was no direct physical contact. Rider was sentenced to four months for each of the three sexual assaults on children under 13 and three months for each of the two assaults on teenagers. The sentences will run consecutively. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and disqualified from working with children indefinitely.