ELDERLY MAN JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING TERMINALLY ILL GIRL
A court heard Leonard Rickard, 76, took advantage of his victim when she was just seven years old while he was babysitting her.He sexually abused her by kissing her when she played as a princess and went on to touch her sexually and made her touch him.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court learned that Rickard was living at Coed Hills in St Hilary, in the Vale of Glamorgan, during 2012 and 2013.
The defendant made and rented out yurts at Coed Hills, and it was in one of these yurts that he first sexually assaulted his victim.
The girl was pretending to be a princess, and Rickard told her he "could be her prince" before kissing her on the lips.
His abuse escalated to performing oral sex on her and forcing her to touch his genitals.
The incident occurred when he tried to encourage her to perform oral sex on him.
The victim was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and confided in her mother, revealing the abuse through diary entries.
The girl, who died of cancer at age 17, felt unable to contact the authorities earlier due to her health and the COVID pandemic.
After her death, her mother disclosed her daughter's revelations to the community, leading to Rickard's confrontation.
Rickard, of Newlands Street, Barry, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including sexual assault of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
The court noted he has four prior convictions related to sexual activity with a minor.
In court, the victim's mother delivered a heartfelt statement describing her child's suffering, the shame and guilt she felt, and the lasting impact of the abuse.
She urged Rickard to come forward if other victims shared the same pain.
In mitigation, it was shared that Rickard has suffered health issues, including a stroke in 2019, hernias, and concerns about early-onset dementia.
Judge Lucy Crowther sentenced him to six years and nine months in prison, with an additional year on license, and imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
