A Birmingham man has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars after being found guilty of historic sex offences against two young girls.
Arfon Owen, aged 73, has lived in Talybont, North Wales since the early 90’s, but originally lived in Sheldon. The offences happened between 1976 and 1992 and took place in both Birmingham and Wales.
He was convicted after a week-long trial in July of 11 counts of rape – some of which took place in Aberystwyth – and eight counts of indecent assault and remanded for sentencing. He was found not guilty of one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13.
Owen was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 19 September and appear
ed via video link from prison due to ill health.
Detective Constable Vicky Kelleher, from the force’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Owen’s crimes came to light in early 2012 when his two victims found the courage to report the appalling abuse he had inflicted upon them.
“He steadfastly denied his guilt, so it was down to the brave testimonies of the girls which secured his conviction and saw him sentenced to a very lengthy jail term.
“I hope this serves to help anyone else who may find themselves in a similar situation to have the courage to come forward and report abuse.
“We have a range of support services available from the police and a raft of other agencies. We have specially trained and experienced officers who can offer practical advice and support in all aspects of sexual and domestic abuse.”
