May 2010 Man jailed for abusing girl A WINSFORD man has been jailed for sexually abusing an under age girl for 12 years. Philip Anthony Jones, 58, of Saxon Crossway, pleaded guilty to 12 charges of indecency with a child and 11 charges of indecent assault. He was jailed for a total of three years at Chester Crown Court. Jones committed the offences between 1973 and 1985. He was arrested last June after the victim confided in a friend in December 2008 – 23 years after the abuse stopped. She cannot be named for legal reasons. The court heard how Jones began sexually abusing the girl when she was aged four, at his home in Winsford. He would ask her to lie on top of him and take off her knickers before performing a sex act in front of her. This happened as often as three times a week. The abuse became more severe as the girl grew older. From the time the girl was eight Jones regularly performed another sex act on her until the abuse finally stopped when she turned 16. When interviewed by police the girl described how she had struggled to cope with life but said she did not want Jones to go to prison. The court also heard that Jones was genuinely remorseful and had even tried to take his own life for what he had done. Sentencing Jones, Judge Elgan Edwards said the abuse suffered would never leave the victim. He told Jones: “It has to be a substantial prison sentence, not just to teach you but also to tell the public that if the court cannot protect children then who will?” At the hearing last Tuesday, Jones received a three-year sentence for the assault charges and two years for the indecency with a child charges. The sentences will be served concurrently. Jones is disqualified from ever working with children and will appear on the sex offenders register for life. Once released he must continue to notify police of any change of address. Jones’ wife told the court that while her marriage had been stable, she found it difficult to understand how the offences could have been committed. Members of his family in the public gallery burst into tears when Jones was sentenced.