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A woman has revealed the depraved abuse she suffered at the hands of her step-grandfather.



Charlotte Wade, 22, of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan was raped, beaten and sexually abused from the age of 5 by vile paedophile, Raymond Hodges.



Horrifically, the sick monster even performed a homemade abortion on her, using a coat hanger, after he got her pregnant.



In November 2016, Charlotte eventually found the strength to report him to the police.



And eight months later, in July 2017, Hodges was convicted of a string of offences against Charlotte, including rape, indecent assault and using an instrument to procure abortion.



He was jailed for 25 years.

Now Charlotte, who works at McDonalds, has waived her right to anonymity to urge others to speak out.



She says: “I’m slowing piecing my life back together.



“And it helps to know that he’s rotting behind bars – and that my evidence helped to put him there."

(Image: HotSpot Media) (Image: HotSpot Media)





Raymond was Charlotte’s step-dad’s father and, although, he lived in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, he travelled 200 miles once a month to Charlotte’s home in Barry, South Glamorgan, to stay with them for a couple of weeks.



In 2002, when Charlotte was 5, Raymond offered to babysit her while her stepdad went out and her mum went to work.



She says: “I loved Raymond like he was my real grandad. He always brought me chocolate when he visited.



“But that day, Raymond was different and asked me if I knew how to kiss like a grown up.



“When I said no, he kissed me on the lips. Afterwards, he told me it was our secret.



“And he’d do it every time we were alone.”



The abuse escalated, and the next time Raymond stayed over, he made Charlotte touch him while her parents were asleep.



Soon she began to dread his visits.



In 2003 when Charlotte was six, Raymond moved to Barry to be closer to the family.



Charlotte says: “I felt sick.



“He moved to a flat just minutes from our house and I’d stay at his most weekends.



“There he’d force me to touch him and he’d touch me on my privates.



“He threatened to hurt my brothers if I told anyone. I was desperate to protect them, so I kept quiet.”

(Image: HotSpot Media) (Image: South Wales Police)





A year later when Charlotte was seven, Raymond took her to his flat, pushed her onto the living room floor and raped her.



She says: “The pain was unbearable. He told me this is what grown ups did.



“Afterwards, he bought me sweets from the shop as if nothing had happened.



“I was trapped.



“A year later, he began to film the sexual assaults.



“At first, I refused, but he kicked me in the stomach and then raped me anyway.



“I was powerless.



“The next time I refused, he forced my hand onto a scalding kettle.”



In 2009 when Charlotte was 12, she missed two periods.



She says: “Grandad was abusing me so regularly that he noticed and forced me to take a pregnancy test.



“He wouldn’t let me see the results and nothing was mentioned for a few weeks.”

(Image: HotSpot Media) (Image: HotSpot Media)

How WalesOnline reported the court case “Depraved” Raymond Hodges was jailed for 25 years at Cardiff Crown Court in July 2017. He was found guilty following a trial of 20 child sex offences, including rape and using an instrument to procure abortion, he pleaded guilty to four counts. Representing Hodges, of Monmouth Way, Barry, Claire Pickthall said she could offer limited mitigation for her client. Speaking about the defendant’s health, she said: “He has arthritis and now suffers with anxiety and depression. “I am in no way seeking to minimise the offending the jury found Mr Hodges guilty of – there has been a profound effect on [the victim]. “It may be that Mr Hodges never walks as a free man again.” Sentencing, Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said: “This is a case of extremely depraved sexual abuse upon a young girl for a number of years. “Your actions were sadistic on more than one occasion.” He added: “This was nothing other than the most depraved and horrific campaign of sexual abuse.” The judge said the abuse was “reinforced” by threats to his victim that he would attack her family. “There was a long history of beatings, scaldings and burns done in order to subject her to your control and there was further evidence of sexual pleasure you took from domineering this poor child.” Judge Harris-Jenkins said Hodges – who placed his head on the desk in front of him as he was jailed for 25 years – had “shown no remorse whatsoever”. Read the full court report here.

The next month, while Charlotte was at Raymond’s flat a friend of his turned up.Out of nowhere, his friend shoved Charlotte to the ground and pinned her down.Charlotte says: “I was terrified and thought he was going to rape me, then Grandad appeared with a coat hanger, pulled down my knickers, and pushed it inside me.“I’d never felt pain like it.“I felt like I was going to die.“Afterwards he told me that I wouldn’t be pregnant anymore, then he left me bleeding on the floor.“I cleaned myself up but I was in agony for the next few days.“And I was desperate to tell someone."

Over the next two years, Raymond continued to rape Charlotte every week.



But when she hit her teens, the attacks became less frequent.



Then, aged 14, Raymond argued with her mum and stopped coming round.



Charlotte says: “Even after Grandad left, I never felt safe.



“I suffered terrible flashbacks and self-harmed. And I tried to end my life several times.



“I realised that Grandad needed to be punished for what he’d done to me.



“So in November 2016, I reported him to the police.



“A week later, he was arrested and charged.”

(Image: HotSpot Media) (Image: HotSpot Media)





In July 2017, Raymond Hodges, now 73, of Monmouth Way, Barry, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court charged with 24 offences against Charlotte.



He pleaded guilty to one count of rape of a female child under the age of 13, one count of sexual assault of a female under the age of 13, assault of a female child under the age of 13, and causing or inciting a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.



He denied the rest of the charges, forcing Charlotte to give evidence.



After a two-week trial, Hodges was found guilty on all the remaining 20 charges.



Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said Hodges had shown no remorse for what he called ‘the most depraved and horrific campaign of sexual abuse’.



He jailed Hodges for 25 years and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.



Charlotte says: “When the police told me, I fell to the floor sobbing.



“Speaking out has helped me move forward with my life – and I want to urge others to do the same.



“My sick grandad may have deprived me of a happy childhood, but I refuse to let him ruin my future.”