August 2012 ‘You are a truly depraved and wicked man’ Paedophile who accused witnesses of being liars is jailed for 18 years A PAEDOPHILE was today beginning an 18-year jail term for targeting females over decades.  Adult victims of smartly-dressed former builder Godfrey Reeves had described him as a sex pest.  But unknown to them, he was much, much more, a judge said yesterday.  Judge Stephen Hopkins told Reeves, 64, of Tai Penylan, Capel Llanilltern, Cardiff, who had used one little girl’s own skipping rope to sexually assault her: “In my view you are a truly depraved and wicked man.”  Seven females came forward after hearing a complaint had been made about Reeves last summer.  That led police to return to him in November and eventually charge him with 17 offences.  Reeves said the witnesses were all liars when they gave their evidence during an eight-day trial at Cardiff Crown Court.  But last Friday, a jury found him guilty of 15 of the allegations against six of the accusers, including one of rape, 13 of indecent assault and one of committing gross indecency with a child.  Yesterday, he returned to the court to be sentenced, this time as a prisoner, after the bail he had enjoyed since his arrest was withdrawn over the weekend.  He sat impassively in the dock as Judge Hopkins outlined in detail the appalling nature of his crimes.  Reeves’ offending ranged from suggestive remarks and wandering hands right through to forcing a child to have sex with him, promising her she would never have to go through the pain again as long as she didn’t tell anyone their “little secret”.  Judge Hopkins said he sank to the depths of depravity when, after assaulting the little girl who was out skipping, he told her that her mother was in hospital and on a machine.  “You said you would switch off that machine and her mother would die if she reported you,” the judge reminded him.  “You stole her childhood and robbed her of her innocence.  “You have been a predatory sex offender for the better part of 30 years.”  Judge Hopkins said he was ensuring that Reeves would serve a separate sentence for each woman and child he sexually assaulted.  Added together, they totalled 18 years.  When he first becomes eligible for release, Reeves will be in his mid-70s, and he will be on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.  At the request of the police, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was also put in place yesterday.  Under it, Reeves, who worked as an opencast driver at Llanharan before setting up his own building business in 1987, is banned from ever again being in a room with a female under 16 unless there are two adults present, one of whom must be her parent.