AN ASPIRING actor was warned by a judge that he faces a potential life sentence after being found guilty by a jury of raping four victims.

Aiden Bradley, of High Street, Abersychan, Pontypool, was convicted of five counts of rape after a three-week trial at Newport Crown Court.

The 26-year-old was cleared of eight counts of rape and two of sexual assault by a jury of eight men and four women.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths told the court the allegations took place against female complainants aged 16 or over and claimed they happened between 2009 and 2016.

Bradley, who was represented by his barrister Nigel Fryer, had denied all charges.

After the jury, who had deliberated over three days, had returned all their verdicts, Mr Griffiths revealed how the defendant had pleaded guilty before the trial to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

These, he said, included category A images, which feature the most serious examples of child sexual abuse.

The jury were not told of his guilty pleas to these offences.

Mr Griffiths said that prior to that conviction, the defendant had been a man of previous good character.

Remanding Bradley in custody, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “You have been found guilty following a trial of the gravest offences.”

He said he was adjourning sentence so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the Probation Service.

Judge Jenkins said the sole purpose of that report would be to gauge the question of Bradley’s “dangerousness”.

He added: “You can expect a sentence measuring many, many years.”

The judge outlined how he could pass a life or extended sentence against him.

Sentence was adjourned until Friday, August 10 at Newport or Cardiff Crown Court.

There had been five complainants in the case.

Judge Jenkins thanked the jury for their public service before he discharged them.