Man jailed for life for sexual assault of girl, 3

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) A convicted paedophile was jailed for life today for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl just weeks after his prison licence for an earlier sex attack ran out.

Craig Sweeney, 24, was told at Cardiff Crown Court he would have to serve at least five years of his sentence.

Sweeney pleaded guilty to abducting the girl from her home in the Rumney area of Cardiff on January 2 and sexually assaulting her.

After the assault, he drove the girl out of Wales and crashed in Wiltshire while being followed by a police car.

Sweeney had been freed early after serving a sentence for indecent assault on a girl aged six.

REUTERS SHB KN1711