Rocci Malanti, 51, was told by one of his victims he had ‘used her as a piece of meat to satisfy his deviant sexual desires’
Rocco Malanti, 51, sexually abused two young girls after grooming them.(Image: Gwent Police)
A “sexual deviant” groomed two young girls and sexually abused them on multiple occasions when they were under the age of 16 years old. One of the victim’s described the abuse as “easy as having a cup of tea” as she had been “programmed to think like that”.
Rocci Malanti, 51, sexually abused the two children and exploited them after exhibiting what was described as a “dark side to him”. His victims stood up bravely in court and addressed their abuser, telling the defendant his actions had cast a shadow over their lives.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday said the abuse came to light in 2022 and both of the victims gave interviews to police about what Malanti had done to them. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
After the victims told him they were planning on speaking to the police, he threatened to kill himself.
The first victim described the defendant had gained her trust after buying her alcohol, cigarettes and driving her around.
He sexually abused her by performing oral sex upon her and went on to have vaginal sex with her. The victim said she pretended to be asleep at the time as she was “too scared to say no”, and the act hurt her.
She also described how Malanti masturbated in her presence until he ejaculated, after instructing her to expose her breasts. He went on to have penetrative sex with her on multiple occasions as well as performing oral sex upon her.
The victim told the officers she was a child when the abuse started, that the defendant had “taking advantage of her” and she “couldn’t see any way out of it”
She described the abuse as “easy as having a cup of tea” as she had been “programmed to think like that”.
Reading out her victim personal statement to the court, the first victim said: “I didn’t realise anything that had been happening was wrong…. I was conditioned into thinking these things were normal and right… I had doubts about the relationship and questioned if it was right, but I would feel silly…
“I keep discovering the way the abuse and grooming has impacted on my life… I feel a fool and ashamed. I feel stupid but most of all I feel dirty. How could I not see what was happening and it was wrong. I asked myself why I wasn’t brave enough to say no… I was scared and manipulated….
“Every day of my life I am reminded of (Malanti) and what he did to me. My whole life has been affected by what that man has done to me and this is something that will never leave me… I am not sure how I am feeling, I feel numb, I feel like my life is stuck on pause and I’m not able to move forward with anything until this has come to a conclusion.”
The second victim described Malanti having sex with her as she held a pillow over her face, as she did not want to see what was going on.
She described this as her first sexual experience, and she did not like it. She also said the defendant had masturbated in front of her.
In her victim personal statement, the second victim said: “My brain blocked out a lot of childhood, I had suffered significant trauma as a child , trauma I did not understand… I pushed it back to the bottom of my mind and bottled it up. I suffered a mental breakdown…
“(Malanti) stole my virginity and took my innocence at a young age. It was something I did not understand at all… I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them. I was terrified and didn’t know what to do… He used me as a piece of meat to satisfy his deviant sexual desires… It has angered me it took three years for him to admit what he did to me. I will never get my childhood back and will never forget what happened to me.”
Malanti, of Tredegar Road, Ebbw Vale, was arrested and denied the offences but he later pleaded guilty to six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. The court heard he was of previous good character.
In mitigation, Jeffrey Jones said his client had been in some ill health and had been diagnosed with diabetes.
Sentencing, Recorder Paul Lewis commended the victims for the courage they had shown in coming forward.
Addressing the defendant, he said: “No sentence that I pass can undo the harm that you have caused them.”
Malanti was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months imprisonment, and will serve an extended licence period of two years.
He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) indefinitely.
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