A DEPRAVED paedophile who treated a young girl as his “sex toy” is starting a long prison sentence.

Stephen Evans, 58, was jailed for more than 10 years after a jury found him guilty of a catalogue of historical child abuse offences.

The defendant committed a string of sex offences during the 1970s and 1980s when he was living in Caerphilly county.

Evans, now of Bryn Rhos, Llanelli, was condemned by Judge Michael Fitton QC at Cardiff Crown Court.

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He told him: “You corrupted and depraved your victim. You treated her as your sex toy.

“You knew the difference between right and wrong.”

Referring to the fact the defendant had denied the offences and taken the case to trial, the judge added: “You fought tooth and nail to avoid the truth.

“You bent her to your will. You wriggled and lied throughout the trial.

“You thought you were above the law.”

Evans was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and five counts of indecency with a child.

Prosecutor Clare Wilks told the court the defendant’s victim had suffered from depression following her terrible ordeal.

Nicola Powell, mitigating, said her client was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Evans was sent to prison for a total of 11 years and told he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.