A MAN who repeatedly sexually assaulted a teenager at the former Bryn Alyn Hall children's home near Wrexham more than 40 years ago is now back behind bars.

Graham Joseph Stridgeon, 64, was aged 18 or 19 when he subjected his victim, aged 14 or 15 at the time of the offences in the 1970s, to repeated sex attacks in a bathroom at the care home, Mold Crown Court heard.

Stridgeon, now known as Tony Gordon, who pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault and one of serious sex assault on the day his trial was due to begin earlier this year, was brought to justice following an investigation by the National Crime Agency's Operation Pallial which has been investigating allegations of abuse in the care system in North Wales.

Stridgeon, of Park Avenue, Fleetwood, Lancashire, was jailed for 42 months.

Defending, David Traynor said Stridgeon had been a victim of physical and possibly sexual abuse himself at the children's home and had learning difficulties.

Catherine Donnelly, prosecuting, said the victim in this case would take a bath in a bathroom which was always unlocked at the home when Stridgeon would come in and offer to help wash his back.

The victim accepted at first as he had difficulty reaching around and the first time Stridgeon simply washed his back.

But Stridgeon kept going more personal on subsequent occasions and ultimately committed a series of indecent assaults and serious sex attacks against the teenage boy.

The victim was frightened of Stridgeon and afraid if he spoke up about it he would get into trouble.

On one occasion he asked Stridgeon to stop, but he carried on with the indecent assault.

When the serious sex assault happened, the victim said it "really hurt" and he was in a "lot of pain".

The assaults would happen each time the victim took a bath – two or three times a week – and he became scared to have a bath.

The abuse left him "ashamed and embarrassed" and the effects "plagued him" all his life, making it difficult to obtain relationships.

He hoped Stridgeon got what he deserved in terms of a sentence, the court heard.

His parents, who visited each fortnight, never knew about the assaults and it was only three-and-a-half years ago, when he told a family relative about what had happened, that police were contacted.

Stridgeon had 20 previous convictions for 37 offences, the most serious of these being sentenced to three years in prison on November 15, 1979 for indecent assault in Leicester; seven years in prison on December 12, 1984 for burglary with intent to rape at a Merseyside property and nine years in prison on April 22, 1991 for attempted rape and serious sex assault in Manchester.

Mr Traynor, defending, said with his learning difficulties Stridgeon should never have been placed in that care home in the first place.

Instances of physical abuse included one case when Stridgeon was smacked around the head so hard it resulted in hearing damage which became apparent in later life.

There was another occasion when he was dragged by his hair along the stairs.

"This was the environment he was going up in...he was both perpetrator and victim," Mr Traynor added.

It was also said Stridgeon had been the victim of sexual abuse at the home.

He had been in supported accommodation since 1999 and his offending had stopped by then.

Judge Rhys Rowlands gave Stridgeon credit for changing his plea to guilty on the day of the trial, reducing his jail term by 15 per cent.

He added: "You were an adult, albeit with learning difficulties, but you certainly realised what you had done was wrong. He was a very vulnerable individual.

"What you did was repeated over a significant period of time."

Stridgeon was sentenced to 42 months for the serious sex assault, with no separate penalty for the indecent assaults.

Three other counts Stridgeon was charged with were to lie on file.

After the hearing National Crime Agency investigating officer Andy Sandham said: “Stridgeon picked on boys who were younger and more vulnerable, pretending he was going to help them.

“The victim has been incredibly brave coming forward all these years later and retelling the abuse he was subjected to.

“Stridgeon probably thought he’d got away with his crimes, but he, and others who committed crimes against children all those years ago, have been brought to justice and I hope their victims can take some comfort in that.”

Stridgeon is the 12th person to be convicted under Operation Pallial.

There are four further trials under Operation Pallial scheduled.