POLICE have released the mugshot of a child rapist who committed a catalogue of historical sex offences against a young girl jailed for 16 years.

Paedophile Justin Davies, 36, from Newport, was condemned by a judge who told him he had shown no remorse for his evil crimes.

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Despite admitting rape, sexual assault and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, the defendant later tried to vacate his guilty pleas.

But his application was ruled out by a judge at an earlier hearing.

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Timothy Evans, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court how Davies had sexually abused his victim in Cwmbran during the noughties.

He said: “She didn’t know how to stop it. She remembers being scared and fearful of him.

“He would tell her not to tell anyone and promised her a mobile phone.”

Mr Evans read the victim’s impact statement which said: “The entire investigation has been stressful and the whole experience harmful.”

The court heard how defendant has 35 previous convictions for 70 offences, including dishonesty, theft, burglary, assaults and arson.

Davies, of no fixed abode, was jailed in 2015 for possession of indecent photographs of children.

He has also served time in custody for persistent breaches of sex offender register requirements as a result of that conviction.

The defendant’s barrister Charlotte Surley said her client continues to deny the sexual offences against the girl.

She said: “He comes from a chaotic background and was homeless for a great number of years.”

Davies’ lawyer added that he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the defendant: “I must sentence you for serious sexual offending.

“You were arrested by the police on July 4, 2018 and you denied the offences in interview and in your pre-sentence report despite having pleaded guilty.

“You have shown no remorse or empathy. You are to be sentenced as a defendant of particular concern.”

Davies, who also admitted failing to comply with sex offender register requirements in March 2019, will have to serve 15 years in custody plus one extended year on licence.