A 19-YEAR-OLD Launceston man has been remanded in custody and told he faces a significant period in prison following his conviction for sex offences involving schoolgirls in the town.
Unemployed Miles Cuenca was remanded at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday after being convicted of the rape of a 15-year-old girl and two offences of sexual activity involving another teenager and a 12-year-old girl five years ago.
The jury was in retirement for six and a half hours before returning its unanimous verdicts.
Cuenca, of Tavistock Road, had been convicted of two other sexual assaults involving two of his victims at a trial in February. The jury on that occasion failed to reach verdicts on three charges and the judge in the case ordered a retrial.
Cuenca had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
After Cuenca had been taken down to the cells Judge Philip Wassall told the jury that it had been a difficult case and he excused them from further jury service.
He added that he completely agreed with their verdicts and that he had found the evidence against Cuenca compelling.
The offences had not been reported for some years after they occurred, but the three girls involved had come forward in 2010.
