A man from Bonymaen has been jailed for sexually abusing two young girls.
Matthew Bailey, 37, was found guilty of six historical sexual offences against children, South Wales Police said.
He has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
Both girls were under the age of 10 when he abused them, police say.
Victim came forward in 2023, around 20 years on
Bailey came to the attention of officers in 2023, when one of his victims came forward with her story. By then, around 20 years had passed since the abuse started, the force said.
A second girl was then identified as having also been sexually abused by him, according to police.
Bailey convicted of six offences, four against a girl under 13
Bailey was convicted of two counts of gross indecency with a girl under 16 and two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13.
He was also found guilty of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, and of causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Last month a Sandfields man, James Miller, was jailed for 16 years for raping a girl of 12 in the 1990s, after his victim also went to police in 2023.
Detective: Bailey “snatched those most innocent of years away”
Detective Constable Stuart Alban said that at that age, the girls’ lives “should have been about nothing other than going to school and playing with their friends”.
“Matthew Bailey snatched those most innocent of years away from them,” he said.
He praised the victims for reporting what had happened. “This took immense courage for the victims to come forward and report Matthew Bailey’s offending to us,” he said.
DC Alban added that police hoped they could “finally feel free of the weight and burden that this has had upon them for so long, knowing that this dangerous man is behind bars”.
Support for anyone affected by sexual abuse
The force said it hoped cases like this showed that victims would be listened to, treated with dignity and respect, and supported throughout the court process.
Anyone who has been sexually abused but is not yet ready to go to the police can find information and support services on the South Wales Police website.
Children and young people can talk to Childline, free and in confidence, on 0800 1111.
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