Footballer exposed as dangerous paedophile and rapist who used his young victim as a “sex object”

A former soldier and football player poses a grave danger to young teenagers, a court has heard. Gareth Phillips was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual acts with a child. A judge told the 32-year-old he had used his victim as a “sex object”.

Swansea Crown Court heard the offences were committed in a number of locations, including once in a library car park. In a statement read out to the court, the victim said Phillips – who played football for Port Talbot Town FC and was also a coach at Swansea Valley – took advantage of her when she was vulnerable and “stole my childhood”. She said she used to be a very sociable person but now there are times when she cannot leave her bedroom and she said she has been put in the position of “being a child doing grown-up things” and often thinks about how different her life would have been if it weren’t for the defendant.

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Gareth Phillips, of Victoria Road, Waunarlwydd, Swansea, had previously been convicted of four counts of sexual contact with a child and one count of rape when he was in the dock for sentencing. Helen Randall, representing Phillips, said the defendant was fully aware that he would face a long prison sentence following the jury’s verdict. She said the court had heard numerous character testimonies relating to every other aspect of the defendant’s life.

Judge Huw Rees said Phillips had served in the armed forces and played football for Port Talbot Town and coached in Pontardawe. It was clear from the 43 character statements he had read that the defendant was popular with many people. However, he said an experienced probation officer had concluded that Phillips had some sexual preference for young teenage girls and posed a “high risk of serious harm” to those youngsters. The judge said it was his view that Phillips had used the victim in the case as a “sex object”.

Phillips was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison and will spend two thirds of that in custody before being released on parole to serve the remainder of the sentence in the community. He was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

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