A FORMER church lay reader and youth volunteer was yesterday found guilty of five charges of raping a 16-year-old boy.

Darren Jenkins, a former volunteer officer of a youth organisation, groomed and then raped the teenager in an attic and bedroom of a Pontypool house and in an alleyway nearby.

Now, he faces a maximum sentence of life when he is sentenced for the rapes.

His depraved acts, which were committed between June 2005 and January this year, started when he "forcefully" kissed the teenager in an alleyway and quickly spiralled to rape, Cardiff crown court heard.

But Jenkins had denied the five charges, saying the boy gave his consent to the sex acts.

He claimed he did not seriously sexually assault him because it was "against his religion".

During the six-day trial, the court heard Jenkins finally admitted to police that there had been a sex act in the attic.

And during video interview, his victim described how Jenkins transformed from acting like a brother to a man, demanding sex.

He said he was too frightened of the defendant to stop him.

Jenkins' depravity was uncovered after the 16-year-old confided in a teacher.

The court heard that Jenkins, a former church lay reader in Pontypool and former manager of a clothes shop in Monmouth, had already been convicted of sexually assaulting another teenager and making indecent photographs of children. Sentencing on the latest charges was adjourned for a week.

In 2004, Jenkins was jailed for three years, 18 months of which were suspended, after admitting indecently assaulting another 16-year-old.

And in 2005, the 29-year-old, of York Place, Barry, and formerly of Hanbury Road, Pontypool, was sentenced to 100 hours' community service after being found guilty of possessing 259 indecent images of children.

He committed his most recent offences just months after being released from prison.

The mother of Jenkins' 2004 victim, who sat through last week's trial, branded the defendant "evil" for putting their son through "hell".

"I want him locked away forever," she said. "He is evil so this conviction has come as a relief.

"My son's been through hell. He has just agreed to counselling and is coming to terms with what happened but it is something which will stay with him for the rest of his life."

The mother is calling for the introduction of Megan's Law in the UK. Currently being used in America, the law gives people access to information about paedophiles living in their area.