A MAN who worked as a carer at a mental health unit ended up having sex with a much younger patient.

Jason Paul Williams, 44, has been jailed for five years and two months.

He was convicted at an earlier trial at Caernarfon Crown Court of six offences of engaging in sexual activity with her, which included intercourse and touching, while he was her carer.

Williams, of Wrexham Street in Mold and formerly of Beaumaris Close in Acrefair, near Wrexham, admitted inciting her to engage in sexual activity by getting her to send him a naked photograph of herself.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said while he was offending against the patient, who was regarded as vulnerable, he was in a relationship with another woman and had got engaged to her.

The judge said it suggested to him that there was no real affection between him and the complainant – that he was using her for sexual purposes.

Williams was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender indefinitely and he was made the subject of a lifetime sexual offences prevention order.

The judge said some of the offences occurred when he worked nights.

He was trusted to take her out in his car when one of the offences occurred.

And he set up a false account so that he could message her.

He persuaded her to send him naked pictures of herself and he sent her photographs of his private parts.

Not only was she a patient but she was a great deal younger than him – he was old enough to be her father, he said, and she found it very difficult to come to terms which what had occurred.

He had no remorse and only felt sorry for himself that he had been caught.

“This was an appalling breach of trust,” Judge Rowlands said.

The authorities and her family would have expected her to be totally safe in hospital.

Judge Rowlands said Williams had a wealth of experience in the caring profession and he had let down himself and his colleagues who did such valuable work within the community.

He had told her that he liked her, that she was special, and that made her happy.

She was flattered that someone wanted her but was also confused by his interest in her.

But he had cultivated a friendship and then a relationship with a view to having illegal sexual activity with her, the judge said.

Barrister Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting, said it had a significant effect upon the victim.

She had told how she felt worthless, paranoid, isolated and depressed.

The victim suffered low self-esteem and had said in a victim impact statement: “Inside my head is torture.”

Her life had been turned upside down and her world had been shattered.

Barrister Owen Edwards, defending, said his client had a complicated private life. He had been married for 16 years and had the continued support of his ex-wife.

Mr Owen said Williams had developed some sort of feelings for the complainant.

The engagement to another woman had been an attempt to salvage what was already broken.

It was accepted that there had been elements of grooming.

“It is an unpleasant case from start to finish,” he said.

“He has lost his job, he has lost his reputation and he has lost his chance to regain a job in the area in which he is trained.”