May 2015 Anglesey ‘sexual predator’ who targeted schoolgirls jailed for ten years A 22-year-old “sexual predator” from Anglesey who used Facebook and text messages to target under-aged girls for sex when he was a teenager was jailed for ten years today Defendant Owain Owen, of London Road, Bodedern, in Anglesey, was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life and a life-time sexual offences prevention order was made. A teenage girl now 18 but 14 when Owen raped her in his car was praised for her courage after she attended court to read out her own victim impact statements. She told how the rape had ruined her life and how she had considered suicide – but with the help of victim support and her family she was slowly coming to terms with it. The victim said she had finally got justice. But she did say that she felt let down by the system because it had taken so long. It emerged that her stress had been increased because Owen initially admitted raping her – but was allowed to change his plea and a trial was held last month. However, he was convicted on what Judge Rhys Rowlands described as overwhelming evidence. He accused Owen of playing the system which added to the anxiety of his victims. The judge said that he took a particularly serious view of a young man of 18 or 19 having sex with 14-year-olds. He was a sexual predator, he said. Owen shook his head and started to shake when the ten year sentence was announced. Sentencing him today at Mold Crown Court, the judge said he had to be sentenced for several serious sexual offences against ten young girls. He said that the victims should have received closure last year but the defendant changed his mind and “very unusually” was allowed to vacate some of his guilty pleas by another judge. Owen, he said, had taken advantage of ten very young girls. One girl aged 14 suffered an ectopic pregnancy and regretted losing her virginity to the defendant who cared absolutely nothing for her. The rape took place when that victim was also 14. She was vulnerable and would sometimes black out because of a medical condition. She had taken alcohol and came around in his car to find Owen taking advantage of her, having intercourse against her will. Judge Rogers said that she had “suffered dreadfully” but had displayed great courage in attending court to read her own victim impact statements. She had gone from a happy, bubbly 14 year old with her whole life ahead of her with ambitions to becoming withdrawn depression, suffering low mood, anxiety and depression. “All that, Owain Owen, is down to you,” the judge told him. He was still young at 22 and had to be sentenced for what he had done when he was aged between 16 and 18. The defendant had used the girls, moving on from one victim to another without any thought whatsoever for their feelings. Last month a jury took little more than two hours to convict him of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, which he denied. He admitted several offences of sexual activity with four other young girls. Defending barrister Mr Anis Ali said that he continued to protest his innocence as far as the rape and some of the other offences were concerned. But it was anticipated with the fullness of time, and with intervention and education, that situation might change. He was a young man of good character who knew there was no alternative to an immediate lengthy prison sentence. The defendant had no adult male role model in his life, he did not know his father, he lacked maturity and had feelings of inadequacy. He had a sense of wanting to belong and to be accepted but he had gone about it the wrong way. “He lacks any meaningful social skills or life skills,” said Mr Ali.