A man pulled down a young girl's trousers and sexually assaulted her then tried to blame a dog for what happened, a court has heard. While being investigated for the assault Darren Boyle went on to expose his penis and to masturbate at a busy hospital.

Sending the 55-year-old defendant to prison a judge at Swansea Crown Court described the facts of his offending as "nothing short of disturbing". Boyle will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

Hannah George, prosecuting, said the sexual assault happened in Port Talbot in February last year after the defendant bought the victim some sweets. Boyle then pulled the young girl's trousers down and touched her vagina and bottom. The court heard the girl shouted and the defendant left the scene. The youngster reported the incident to her father, and the police were alerted.

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The court heard that the defendant was arrested, and while being taken to the police car said he was sorry. He was released on bail and the following month he was arrested after exposing his penis and masturbating at Morriston Hospital. He has already been sentenced to four months in prison for that matter

In his interview Boyle said he found the girl with her trousers down and thought a dog must have pulled them down. He said he saw marks on the child's buttocks that he "prodded" before "darkness came over my left shoulder" and he felt sexually aroused. Darren Boyle, of Pentyla-Baglan Road, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl under 13 when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Ian Wright, for Boyle, said there were mental health considerations in the case, and said a psychiatrist had diagnosed the defendant with alcohol dependency syndrome. He said the delay in the case being charged was "inexcusable" and said that between March and November last year it appeared "nothing had been done" to progress the charging.

Judge Geraint Walters said the facts of the offending were "nothing short of disturbing", and he said it may be that the young victim would be "haunted" by what had happened as she grew up. With a one quarter discount for his guilty plea Boyle was sentenced to 18 months in prison - he will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Boyle will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years. The victim of the sexual assault has life-long legal anonymity.

Accessing support if you've been a victim of abuse

Support for survivors of sexual abuse is available from many different charities and organisations. The following non-exhaustive list includes contact details for services that may help if you've been affected by the issues raised in this article.

Lifecentre

  • 0808 802 0808 (freephone)
  • 07717 989 022 (textline)
  • lifecentre.uk.com
  • Support for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and anyone supporting them. Includes a helpline, text support, and email counselling.

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)

  • 0808 801 0331
  • support@napac.org.uk
  • napac.org.uk
  • Supports adult survivors of any form of childhood abuse. Offers a helpline, email support, and local services.

One in Four

  • 0800 121 7114
  • oneinfour.org.uk
  • Offers advocacy services, counselling, and resources for adults who have experienced trauma or domestic or sexual abuse in childhood.

Safeline

  • 0808 800 5005 (National Male Survivor helpline)
  • safeline.org.uk
  • Helplines for adults and young people who have experienced sexual abuse and rape.

The Survivors Trust

  • 0808 8010 818
  • thesurvivorstrust.org
  • Lists local specialist services for survivors of sexual violence, including advocates and independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs).

Rape Crisis England & Wales

  • 0808 802 9999
  • rapecrisis.org.uk
  • Support for women and girls affected by rape, sexual abuse, or any form of sexual violence. Provides details of local centres.

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