Ice cream van driver jailed 25 years for child rape in Rhondda Valley
Ceri Williams, 71, used his ice cream van to groom and sexually abuse multiple children in the Rhondda Valley. He was sentenced to a 25-year special custodial term.
Ice cream man convicted of 15 counts of child sexual abuse in Rhondda Valley
Ceri Williams, 71, has been handed a 25-year special custodial sentence after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing multiple children in the Rhondda Valley in the early 2000s, walesonline.co.uk reports.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Williams used his ice cream van — which he drove around the local community — to groom a young boy, whom he subjected to a prolonged campaign of sexual assault and rape. He also raped a young girl during the same period of offending.
On at least one occasion, Williams involved his late wife in the abuse of the boy. The court heard that his wife discovered him in the act of raping the child and joined in. She has since died.
Williams, of Maes y Rhedyn, Maerdy, Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was convicted of 15 counts including rape of a child, indecency with a child, indecent assault of a child, and engaging in sexual activity with a child.
Victims came forward two decades later
In 2023, the now-adult male victim disclosed the abuse to his partner and family. Police were notified and a second victim, a female, was subsequently identified.
Williams was arrested in July 2024. Upon being cautioned, he said: "I am going to get done for this — I've seen this kind of thing on the news." He later provided officers with a prepared statement denying the allegations and accusing his victims of lying.
He maintained that position throughout the trial, but the jury convicted him on all counts.
Lifelong impact described in victim statements
Prosecution barrister Ffion Thomas read victim impact statements to the court in which both survivors described the lasting harm they had suffered.
The male victim said the abuse had left him unable to trust anyone. He described waking screaming in the night and said that the smell of stale cigarette smoke triggers memories and nausea. "My entire life has been a complete misery," he said.
The female victim said the only word she could use to describe how she felt was "numb". She said she had a history of scrubbing her skin to the point of bleeding and bathing in Dettol disinfectant. "My life was taken away from me before it properly started," she told the court.
Sentence and lifelong restrictions
Recorder Christian Jowett said the evidence heard at trial made clear that the abuse had caused lifelong harm to the victims. He noted that the pre-sentence report showed Williams continued to deny his guilt and displayed no victim empathy or insight into his offending.
Addressing Williams directly, the recorder said: "You alleged they were lying. They were not lying. You were lying."
Steven Thomas, defending, submitted that Williams was in very poor physical health and asked the court not to impose an extended sentence, arguing that a lengthy determinate term would amount to a whole-life sentence "by any other name".
The court imposed a 25-year special custodial sentence as an offender of particular concern, comprising 24 years in custody followed by a one-year extended licence period. Williams may apply to the Parole Board for release after serving two-thirds of the custodial element.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Police statement
Detective Constable Ceri Davies said Williams had subjected his victims to "the most horrific of crimes over a number of years," leaving them with mental scars they continue to battle.
"There would have been a time when Ceri Williams believed he got away with his monstrous crimes," Davies said, "but thanks to their bravery, he is in prison for a very long time and that is where he belongs."
Davies praised the victims for the "tremendous and commendable courage" they had shown in coming forward to ensure their abuser faced justice.
Source: The Sun