Paedophile jailed for child rapes

Roderick Frith was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court

A 69-year-old north Wales man who raped a number of children has been jailed for 16 years.

Roderick Frith, from Llanfairfechan, near Bangor in Gwynedd, admitted the charges at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Sentencing Frith, Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said the offences were "as serious a case of sex abuse as one could expect to find".

The judge told Frith: "Your risk will be very much reduced by the time you are released from prison."

The judge added that Frith had shown his victims "no mercy."

He said he expected a high level of supervision when Frith was eventually freed on licence from prison.

John Philpotts, defending, said Frith had significant health problems.

Afterwards, Det Insp Iestyn Davies of North Wales Police said: "We welcome the sentence which truly reflects the severity and seriousness of the offences committed by Frith.

"We will continue to support the victims and families in this case."