A bus driver systematically raped and subjected five teenage girls to sexual and physical assault, resulting in their feelings of suicidal despair. A court heard that most of the girls were minors when he exploited them.
Lee Williams, 32, from Cardiff, manipulated his victims by purchasing them jewellery, plush toys, and meals while deceiving them regarding his age. After entering into a relationship with the victims, he raped them and subjected them to other humiliating sexual activities, resulting in physical injuries and emotional distress.
During a sentence hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, prosecutor Roger Griffiths stated: “We assert that the defendant sexually exploited these children to fulfil his desire for sexual engagement with minors below the age of consent.” He exploited their immaturity and, in certain instances, vulnerability to perpetrate these atrocities.
Williams commenced the abuse of the initial victim at the age of 15, following their encounter during his bus driving duties. He informed her that he “preferred younger girls” and sexually assaulted her multiple times. Following the assault, she experienced physical illness. In a victim personal statement, the initial victim reported being subjected to bullying at school and experiencing depression, which Williams exploited.
She said: “He raped me, plied me with drugs and would make it seem like it was my fault. I wondered if I had done something wrong to make him treat me like this… He was also a feeder and plied me with takeaways. I put on four stone in eight months.” The victim said she tried to take her own life due to the abuse.
The second victim was over the age of consent when Williams raped her. She met him through the first victim and he started buying her gifts. He then raped and strangled her numerous times. On one occasion he strangled her until she lost consciousness while he was raping her. He also raped her while she was asleep and sexually assaulted her, which caused her injuries. Without her consent, he placed her on a dating website and tried to force her into having a threesome.
In her victim personal statement, she said Williams would drive to remote locations and would point a toy BB gun at her.
She added: “He saw I was vulnerable and took advantage of it. He took my bank card and transferred money to himself. He isolated me and I couldn’t do anything without him. That’s when the abuse started. I felt the only way out was to take my own life.”
The victim was frightened when he strangled her and “thought he was going to kill her”. The third victim came into contact with Williams when she was 14 years old. They had sex after her 15th birthday. He went on to rape her and turned his attention to his fourth victim. A court heard he abused the latter two victims in a van.
He told the third victim to delete pictures and to lie about their relationship. She said: “I was unhappy because of what Lee was doing to me.” The court was told that she now suffers flashbacks and nightmares.
The fourth victim was told by Williams to “keep quiet” or they would get into trouble. She later told police :“I don’t like my body because I know he has touched it… I don’t like being around men anymore.”
The fifth victim was 13 years old when the abuse began, after Williams contacted her on Snapchat and told her he was 18. He took her to McDonald’s and pressured her into having sex. They met further times and had sex and he offered her amphetamines and cannabis. The defendant later sexually assaulted her and raped her, despite her telling him to get off, before telling her: “You’ll get used to it in time.”
Williams also told the girl to wear school uniform and that he wanted to have sex with an 11-year-old. As well as being physically abusive – which included punching her in the stomach – he sent her messages saying “I just raped you.”
She said: “I would like to know why he did what he did to me. I will never know.”
Williams, of Brynheulog, Pentwyn, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to 12 counts of rape, 14 counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of assault by penetration. He had previously been convicted of benefit fraud and possession of class B drugs.
In mitigation, the court heard the defendant acknowledged his behaviour and was willing to engage in rehabilitative work. Defence barrister Christopher Rees said his client’s best mitigation was his early guilty plea.
Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd said: “Your behaviour has caused significant trauma to them all, some of your victims have felt guilty but they have nothing to be guilty about. The guilt and the responsibility all lie with you.”
Williams was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of nine years and four months. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order in respect of all his victims indefinitely.
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