October 2012 Paedophile gets 15 years in jail; Girl was ‘robbed of her childhood and will suffer all her life’ A “DEVIOUS and manipulative” sexual predator has been jailed for 15 years for repeatedly raping and indecently assaulting a girl. Neil Marks, 48, of West View Crescent, Trelewis, denied five counts of indecent assault and six specimen counts of rape between December 1997 and November 2004. But he was found guilty on all counts by a jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. There were cries of “paedo” from the public gallery as Marks made his way through the door to the cells from the dock. Judge Dan Williams told Marks: “The evidence of the witness who gave evidence at your trial showed you to be a controlling, manipulative, violent and devious man. “You singled her out and told her what you were doing was normal and making her think it was. “She gave evidence that was compelling. She said you robbed her of her childhood and that she will suffer the emotional upset of what you did to her for the rest of her life. “Her evidence was as impressive as yours was unimpressive.” The jury had heard Marks made the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, feel special, sparing her beatings that he regularly administered to others. Marks, the jury was told, had perpetrated a number of sexual offences against the girl after testing her acceptance. The assaults began with tickling and touching, before escalating his sexual dominance to repeated rapes. The court heard Marks, an insulin dependent diabetic, had pretended to care about her while abusing her at the same time. Jennet Treharne, defending, told the court Marks maintained his absolute denial of the offences. Judge Williams told Marks he would serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars, unless considered for parole after serving half his sentence. He will also have to sign as a sex offender indefinitely.