June 2020 Prolific pervert befriended teen’s family before sexually assaulting her A prolific sex predator sexually assaulted a teenage girl after befriending her family who were unaware of his previous convictions for indecent assault. Simon Nash, 35, was convicted of sexually activity with a child under 13 following a trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. At the time of the offences, he was on a sexual harm prevention order for two separate offences of indecently assaulting children when he was teenager. The defendant was accused of “deliberately associating himself” with the family of his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in order to gain access to her. Despite denying the offence, Nash was found guilty by a unanimous verdict on March 4 and appeared for sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday. He also faced a charge of making thr eats to kill but he was acquitted on this charge. During the sentencing, prosecutor Alexander Greenwood read out a victim personal statement from the victim’s mother. It said: “It has made her ill and I have noticed a massive difference in her as a person. She has had to have support in school for mental health. “There has been a difference in behaviour, she is non-engaging with family and locks herself in her bedroom and doesn’t attend family outings. “Before she was a lovely person, always going out and acting like a normal teenager. It has put pressure on us as a family and I feel so hopeless and upset because she won’t open up to me.” In 2002, Nash was convicted of two offences of indecent assault on a female under 14 when he was 17 years old and in 2004 he was convicted of indecent assault on a female under 16 when he was 19 years old. Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said he considered whether to give Nash a indeterminate prison sentence but he drew back from that and decided to give the defendant an extended sentence. He said: “You have denied the offence to the jury and the author of the presentence report and called the victim a liar and you put her through the ordeal of a trial so you get no credit. “You are described as being completely unrepentant and as a significant risk to children. You targeted your victim who was vulnerable.” Nash, of Heol Caradog, Penywaun, Aberdare, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, six of which he will serve in custody and the remainder on licence.