February 2015 Pensioner faces dying in jail after admitting targeting SEVEN schoolgirls in 20-year sex abuse campaign A pensioner who manipulated and sexually abused seven young girls over a 20-year period faces dying in prison. Sick Derek Males, 73, attacked some of his victims as long as 40 years ago – and they were still suffering the effects of his abuse, a court heard. Married Males, said to be in poor health, was said to accept he may not see out the end of the four-year sentence. He admitted the offences when seven victims made statements to South Wales Police and he pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault. The offending took place between 1973 and 1993 and some of the attacks took place in a swimming pool, Cardiff Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Clare Pickthall said Males, of Heol Dderwen, Tonteg, near Pontypridd had kissed young girls, touched them sexually and got them touch him. One recalled being made to touch him as he performed a sex act on himself. She was bribed not to tell anyone, the court was told. Locking him up, despite claims that he was unwell and suffering severe athritis, Judge Neil Bidder QC told Males he was getting credit for his guilty pleas, which had avoided the victims having to come to court to give evidence. But he said: “This offending took place over a long period of time, there was a degree of planning in it, and they have lived with the effects for most of their lives.” The victims, aged under 12 when they were targeted and now grown up, were said to have suffered with relationship problems and to have been over-protective with their own children. “They are simply unable to put the memories of what you did out of their minds,” Judge Bidder told Males. He said he was also taking into account the fact the defendant had never before been in trouble. The judge told him: “You are of good character insofar as you have never been convicted before but in truth you have been living a lie.” He ordered that the pensioner’s name be put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. Males’ barrister Lucy Crowther said his best mitigation was the fact he had saved the women further distress by admitting his crimes. “He is not well at all but understands there must be a custodial sentence and knows it may be one he will not see the end of,” she said. Males walked slowly and seemingly with some difficulty from the dock to the cells to begin his jail term.