John Carroll, 75, was found guilty of the offences, which date back to 2001 and 2002, during a trial in the Royal Court.
He was found guilty on four charges of indecent assault against a teenage girl about 25 years ago, as well as a further charge, involving the same girl at about the same time, of inciting a child under 16 to perform an act of gross indecency.
The woman was between the ages of 12 and 14 at the time and worked at the cafe.
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, she said that Carroll had ruined what was meant to be some of the best years of her life.
She said she had been vulnerable, coming from a single parent, low income family, and he was a man that she felt able to trust. She did not have the maturity to realise otherwise, she said.
She said that Carroll would give her money and buy her alcohol and cigarettes, which made it harder for her to see what was happening.
After working at the cafe, she increasingly used drugs and alcohol and had sexual encounters while under age. She was in trouble at school and her mum struggled to cope with her behaviour, she said.
The sex offences have gone on to have an impact on her employment during adulthood, she said.
Since having her own children, she realised how young and vulnerable she was.
She also said that she felt a sadness for Carroll’s family and their lives being changed because of the case.
She had heard that he and his family were moving to Australia, and decided she wanted to report him to the police before he left the island and she no longer had the chance. The court later heard that Carroll’s family did move to Australia and he remained in the island alone. At trial and subsequently Carroll had maintained that he did not commit the offences.
‘What you did to the victim was terrible, you stole from her what she described as the “best years of her life” and she has to carry that with her,’ said Judge Catherine Fooks.
Defending, Advocate Alan Merrien said that it had been an extremely difficult time for Carroll, with his family having left the island.
He had planned to stay in a hotel room until court proceedings were over, but after his case was publicised on a local social media group he felt unsafe without any support and asked to be remanded in custody.
Advocate Merrien said Carroll was at low risk of reoffending.
The incidents happened 25 years ago and there was no violence, force or threats, and no coercion.
Carroll was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for one charge relating to partial penetration, and the sentences for the other charges were to be served concurrently.