A manipulative man who pressured a Powys teenage girl into sex has been jailed for more than two-and-a-half years.

Stuart Barratt was 28 and 29 at the time of the offences, which occurred in Radnorshire during 2020.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard on Friday, October 6, that Barratt, now 32, manipulatively threatened to "expose" his victim, warning that she would lose family and friends as a result.

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Barratt first appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court in July. He formally pleaded guilty to the charges at an initial hearing at the crown court in August.

Prosecutor Ffion Tomos said the victim encountered the defendant in 2019 and met when she was "eight out of 10 on the drunk scale" in 2020, when she came around after blacking out, after which Barratt had sex with her.

Ms Tomos said he had sex with her on two more occasions, while she was still a teen. The matter was reported to police in August of 2020, with Barratt surrendering himself to custody.

She added that the victim had declined to provide a victim impact statement, and that Barratt was of previous good character.

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Marian Lewis, representing Barratt, of Fourth Avenue, Brownhills, near Walsall, said the offending took place at a time when her client was in “a bad place” and was suffering from depression.

"There was emotional pressure but according to him there weren’t any threats made in a sinister way," she said.

She said Barratt had sought medical assistance for his depression but had not been taking tablets he was prescribed, and had been using cocaine and ketamine.

She said Barratt has expressed “genuine remorse and shame”.

“This has blighted his life for the last three-and-a-half years and will blight his life until the rest of his days,” she added.

Recorder Dyfed Llion Thomas told Barratt: “You started, encouraged and carried on a sexual relationship with a child, knowing full well what you were doing was wrong.

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“Make no mistake, you were the adult and took advantage of a child. And pressuring a child was a cruel and nasty thing to do."

Barratt was jailed for 32 months and will serve half of that sentence in prison and the remaining half on licence.

He must sign the sex offender’s register for an indefinite period. A sexual harm prevention order and restraining order will both be in place for 15 years.