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A man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl nearly three decades ago has been jailed thanks to a forensics breakthrough.

Richard Downey, 55, appeared at Newport Crown Court on Friday January 23, where he was jailed for eight years with an extended licence period of two years.

He was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency.

In September 1997, the then-26-year-old Downey attacked the schoolgirl, who was walking home on a secluded footpath near Wyllie.

He restrained the teenager while holding a screwdriver to her. He sexually assaulted her, exposed himself and performed a sex act on himself.

The girl managed to escape and a report was made to the police the same day.

Her clothing and her shoes contained the attacker’s DNA, but it did not match anyone on the police database at the time. With no CCTV, no witnesses, and the suspect unknown, the case went cold.

However, when Downey, of Llandevaud, near Newport, was arrested in 2022 for an unrelated incident, his DNA was taken. Officers were then notified that this matched the DNA of the attacker.

In her victim statement, the victim said: “Although the attack lasted for only a few minutes, the impact it had on me has lasted a lifetime. At 13, I did not even grasp what was going on fully and was naïve to my attacker’s intentions.

“The attack has had an such an overarching impact on my life and my childhood. Although the resurfacing of it in 2022 has been stressful, I am glad that it has now concluded and that I have now had some sort of closure.”

She added: “I never thought that my attacker would be brought to justice and now that he has, I can now draw a line under this incident and move on with my life, knowing that it’s all over and that he has been held accountable.”

‘Bravery and resolve’

The officer in the case, DC Lauren Griffin of Gwent Police, said she hoped Downey’s conviction “sends a powerful message to anyone who’s committed a sexual offence which remains unsolved” and continued: “The advancements in technology and the dedication of our officers means it’s only a matter of time before you get a knock at your door.

“For nearly three decades, the victim in this case has had to live with knowing the man who attacked her had not been identified and could still be out there. But thanks to her bravery and resolve, he is now rightly behind bars.”

Sexual assault can be reported to Gwent Police on 101, or through direct message on social media or the force’s website. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.