PETER ANDERSON SENTENCED IN MELIDEN FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST YOUNG GIRL

In August 2011, a courageous young girl from Meliden, near Prestatyn, publicly urged other victims of sexual assault to find the courage to come forward and seek justice. Her plea came in the wake of her own harrowing experience and the subsequent conviction of her attacker, Peter James Anderson.

Peter Anderson, aged 31 and residing at Ffordd Ty Newydd in Meliden, was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court after a three-day trial held last month. The court determined that Anderson had engaged in three separate instances of sexual activity with a female child under the age of 16. These offenses spanned from 2008 through 2009, during which the young girl was subjected to indecent assaults on multiple occasions.

Following the verdict, Anderson was sentenced to a total of four years in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. His sentence includes a 12-month term for the first count and a consecutive three-year term for the remaining two counts. Upon release, Anderson will be subject to a sexual offences prevention order and will serve his sentence on licence, meaning he will be monitored and restricted from approaching or contacting the victim for five years.

The young girl, who bravely testified via video link during the trial, expressed her relief and sense of closure now that her attacker is behind bars. She stated, “Now I can have some closure and get on with my life. It was a horrible thing to go through, and I was so relieved and happy when this man got sent down. I’m glad he’s finally got what he deserves, and I’d like to encourage all sex attack victims to come forward and tell the police like I did.”

She also reflected on her initial fears and hesitations, saying, “I do wish I’d have told someone sooner rather than later, but I was too scared and embarrassed. Then I started thinking if he’s capable of doing that to me, then he could do it to someone else, and I’d feel guilty if he had because I could have put a stop to it.”

The girl’s mother, who supported her daughter throughout the ordeal, shared her feelings about the sentencing. She described having “mixed emotions” but expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “Seeing my little girl giving evidence via video link in court was horrendous,” she said. “But I was very pleased with the result because I never thought he would get sent down for as long as he did. We let her make her own decision about reporting it. She didn’t at first because of what people might think, her age, and because she was embarrassed. But then she decided to ring the police herself. She’s been very brave.”

Throughout the trial, Anderson maintained his innocence. Despite this, the court’s decision reflects the evidence presented and the seriousness of his offenses. The young girl, who managed to complete her school exams despite her trauma, emphasized the importance of justice. “Justice has been done because Anderson’s being punished for what he did to me,” she said. “I still find it very hard to trust a lot of people, but I’ve had counselling and the police have been a great support. It’s sad to think there are probably many more victims out there who don’t have the support I do and who are too scared to report their attackers.”