A NEWPORT man has been found guilty of ten charges of sexual offences against children.

Gerald Baker, 58, of Sudbury Walk, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict at Newport Crown Court today of six counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

Baker, wearing a white shirt and red tie, remained unmoved as the verdict was read out.

The alleged offences date back to the 1970's when the defendant was a boy.

When interviewed by police in December 2013, Baker denied having any knowledge of the allegations.

During the four day trial the court heard how Baker had sex with female victims who may have been as young as four.

Prosecutor James Wilson said Baker, before raping one of his victims, gave her a beaker of his own urine which she thought was cloudy lemonade and made her take a “big gulp” of it.

The second victim, who Baker attempted to rape, said in her police statement: “He put his hand across my mouth to stop me screaming and I could feel the pressure of him trying to force it."

Summing up, prosecutor Mr Wilson said Baker was a “dishonest man” and reminded the jury of the defendants numerous previous convictions - many relating to sexual offences involving children.

Describing the effect of the defendant’s actions he said: “It is rape because of her age.

“She neither had the maturity or understanding to properly consent.

“She was groomed.”

Mr Wilson referred to police interviews with one of the victims who described how as a result of his actions she now “hated men” and “hated sex.”

Defending Baker Timothy Evans repeated the fact that his client was ‘a boy’ at the time of the offences and emphasized how the historic nature of the offences, which occurred nearly ‘half a century ago,’ may have resulted in witness memory loss regarding the facts.

“The defendant was a small boy, he was sent away from the age of nine,” Mr Evans told the jury, to emphasize that while at boarding school Baker would have been unlikely to have been able to commit the offences.

“The opportunity to have access [to his victims] just wasn’t there,” he added.

But summing up, Recorder Peter Rouch QC said: “[the defendant] said he had sex with underage girls and that he knew that was not normal.

“He knew he had an interest in young girls and in his early teens had a sexual interest with underage girls."

“You will have a very substantial prison sentence for these matters,” he told Baker.

Baker was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on July 17.