A WOMAN has been jailed for six-and-a-half years after she was convicted of sexually abusing a toddler.

Miranda Parry, 42, was told by Judge David Hale that she had almost used the boy as a sex toy.

Parry, of Beech Tree Avenue in Llay, denied any wrongdoing during a three day trial at Mold Crown Court last month.

But she was unanimously convicted of nine charges – indecent assault, inciting the child to commit acts of gross indecency, and one of ill-treatment – dating back to when she was in her twenties.

The judge said he had tried to rationalise why she had done it. He said the victim did not understand what was going on.

"He does not understand now. No-one would understand why she would behave like this," he said.

In addition to the prison sentence, her licence was extended by a year because she was a defendant of particular concern.

The judge ordered her to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

A lifetime sexual harm prevention order was made and a restraining order was made not to contact the victim or his mother ever again.

Judge Hale said Parry was physically cruel, made him stand in a corner and called him names and it graduated to sexual acts.

"At one stage you were almost using him as a sex toy, trying to manipulate him to give herself some

sort of sexual pleasure," he said.

Judge Hale said when he was nine the boy tried to get her prosecuted and eventually had been able to do so.

"It has had a profound effect upon him," he said, adding it had unsettled him and had affected the rest of his life.

"It has had a considerable psychological effect – a scar on his life."

He had years of counselling and he had difficulties in relationships.

In his victim impact statement, which he read out himself, he said what she had done had a massive impact on his life which had affected his childhood, his education and his university education.

He felt her behaviour had stopped him in later life from doing many of the things he wanted to do.

Speaking of the offences, he said: "I could not understand it."

He had even blamed himself for what happened to him so long ago.

The victim said he had tried to put it behind him and be positive for the future but it had been very difficult.

He did not want what she had done to continue to affect his life.

He felt so low and had suffered with his mental health.

Barrister Anna Pope, prosecuting, said that matters had previously been referred to social services and to the police but no further action was taken at that stage.

However, some form of agreement was reached that she should not have unsupervised contact with children.

"Throughout his childhood he repeatedly tried to tell the authorities what happened but the investigation was not taken any further,” said Miss Pope.

“When he was aged 19 he went to the police himself and reported what had happened to him more than 15 years earlier," she said.

Henry Hills, defending, said his client was a woman of good character.

There was no evidence of any ongoing interest in the sexual abuse of children.

Mr Hills said Parry should not be treated as a dangerous offender.

After the sentencing hearing Detective Inspector Mark Hughes, of North Wales Police, said: “We are pleased with the sentence imposed today and would like to commend the victim for the courage shown throughout what was a difficult trial.”