KENNETH KESANS RECEIVES EXTENDED SENTENCE IN SWANSEA FOR DECADES-LONG SEXUAL ABUSE
A man who sexually assaulted a young girl repeatedly in the early 2000s contacted police nearly twenty years later to confess his crimes.Kenneth Kesans, who also uses the name Kenneth Rowles, explained to officers that he felt the need to 'come clean' about his past.
During a hearing at Swansea Crown Court, it was revealed that the abuse Kesans inflicted on his victim during the early 2000s had a profound and lasting impact on her life.
The 43-year-old offender was sentenced to an extended term, as he is considered an offender of particular concern.
Prosecutor Carina Hughes stated that Kesans carried out multiple indecent assaults on the girl over an extended period, which included an attempted rape while the victim was crying.
The court heard that Kesans sometimes gave the girl alcohol, forced her to perform sexual acts on him, and threatened her when she tried to report what was happening.
Remarkably, the abuse remained unreported for nearly twenty years until 2021, when Kesans called the police from a public phone box in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter.
During the call, he told officers he couldn’t stop thinking about his past actions, saying, 'I need to get it off my chest - I need to come clean.' Following the call, police located the victim and visited her home.
She confided in them that she had always feared that reporting the abuse might lead to her word being dismissed or her not being believed.
In a statement read out in court, she described the lasting trauma the abuse caused, including social withdrawal, self-harming, and nightmares involving snakes in her bed.
Although she felt embarrassment and shame, she only sought counselling after attending university—but she did not disclose her abuse to her counsellors at that time.
Kenneth John Kesans, of Heol Frank, Penlan, Swansea, previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and seven counts of indecent assault.
He appeared in court for sentencing.
Defense lawyer David Singh pointed out that Kesans’s decision to contact the police showed a degree of responsibility, remorse, and regret for his actions.
Judge Recorder Mark Powell QC told Kesans that his crimes were extremely serious and that he was classified as an offender of particular concern.
The judge also acknowledged the strength of the victim, praising her for her resilience and emphasizing that she should not feel shame or guilt for what was done to her.
Applying a one-third reduction for his guilty pleas, Kesans was sentenced to an extended term of 13 years—comprising 12 years in custody and an additional one-year license period.
He is to be a registered sex offender for life and was also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
